Prisoner of the Heart
by CrazedAnimeAddict
Summary: Sequel to A Demon Called Death. The sand siblings see a newer, more preferred side of Kiele when she awakes with amnesia. But when she begins to remember, Gaara wants to stop it.
1. The Good, the Bad, and the Amnestic

_**The Good, The Bad, and The Amnestic**_

Welcome! This is the second trilogy of my GaaraxKiele series. This will be much better now! I've thrown in many twists that I doubt any of you would have expected in this sequel, and it will finally be able to be called a romance. Last time, it was kind of one sided. Everyone was miserable. It was like an emo had been typing the series. No offense to emos, I have a lot of emo friends. But this series will not be so sad and anguished-filled! At least, I'll try not to make it like that...

**_Disclaimer:_ **I don't own Naruto. I _still _don't own Naruto. I highly doubt that I ever will, unless I am in some way secretly related to Masashi Kishimoto, something happens to him and I inherit Naruto. But I don't think that will happen in this lifetime, I'm having trouble juggling school and fanfiction, let alone school, fanfiction, and an entire anime series.

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"Temari, you should probably just leave her alone... it's been eight months, I doubt she's ever waking up again..."

Kankurou rested a hand on his elder sister's shoulder. It wasn't much comfort, but then again, what could he do? Nothing anyone could say or do seemed to be able to pry her away from Kiele's bedside. He stared at the inanimate shinobi, his eyes harboring the same pain that Temari showed. Kiele's hands were folded on her abdomen, and her head tilted to the side. Her eyes were closed, and her ebony bangs covered most of her pale face. Temari wiped her eyes dry when the door swung open. The red head refused to look at the bed, and instead spoke to the wall.

"The council of Konohagakure will be here tomorrow. You have preperations to make and a job to do if we want this treaty to be successful."

He didn't stay any longer; he didn't even wait for a reply from his older siblings. Gaara never stayed long in the same room as _her_. He crossed his amrs and Kankurou scurried up behind him.

"Gaara, the treaty isn't the only preperations we have to make," He reminded the beholder of Shukaku.

Gaara cringed, grasping his arms tighter. He knew where this conversation was going.

"...We have to get Kiele's funeral arranged. Temari may be conviced that Kiele will just rise from the dead one day, but it's been nearly a year, and she hasn't moved-"

"After the council leaves, we'll get something arranged. But I'm preoccupied right now. I have a debt to repay to Konohagakure after that assult, and I don't want other matters to interfere," Gaara interrupted curtly.

Kankurou nodded. He left Gaara, then headed back to the bedroom to try and persuade Temari to get to work on preperations. Gaara continued to his office, then sat down at his chair. He shoved aside a stack of papers that needed to be signed and stamped and placed his head in the palms of his hands.

_"I can't... Kankurou may have been able to get over her death quickly, but, me... I... "_

He shut his eyes, and her face swirled in front of him. Her sad, yet loving face. He could still see her grasping Naruto's jacket collar...

_**"If he wishes for you to stay away from him... then aknowledge that, Naruto..."**_

_**"I won't allow you... to hurt my important person."**_

_**"And I will kill you, Naruto, with my last breath, if this is want you're trying to say."**_

_**"Good-bye, Kankurou-nii-san.. Temari-oneesan... Gaara-tomodachi..."**_

Gaara pounded his fist angrily on his desk. He glared at the document Kankurou had given him last week. It was a permission form, allowing Kiele to be burried under shinobi funeral and custom. He crumpled the paper in his fists. Kankurou didn't want to let go of her, but he had stated simply at diner one night that he thought that it was better and easier to do do.

_"If you really love something, I say you let go of it. It was nice while Kiele was here, but the truth remains. She's dead, Temari, and whether you like to admit it or not, she is. The best thing we can do right now is just get her funeral over with and reminisce her memory. We can't sit here and cry over what's dead and gone."_

Gaara smoothed out the crumpled parchment, scanning over its contents.

"Perhaps, you are right, Kankurou..."

He slowly signed his name and his title of authority over the matter on the line at the bottom. Standing to his feet, he left his office, and handing the ruffled parchment to his secretary. She took it and promised to get it filed first thing in the morning. Gaara didn't respond, but merely returned to his office where his other papers awaited him.

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"So, how was work today, Kazekage?" Kankurou asked, poking the muck on his plate.

Temari's cooking had in fact improved since she had used Kiele's cooking cards, but since she had died, Temari's cooking skills slowly faded back to what it used to be- horrendous. Kankurou was positive that the orange and green slop on his plate was alive and still kicking.

"Nothing special," Gaara replied bluntly, picking through the mess.

He gathered a small portion of the glop with his chopsticks and attempted to eat it. It tasted slimy and mildly sour. It wasn't until he felt it move on its own that he spat it back out onto his plate. Temari sighed, not eating her own concoction either. She silently excused herself from the table and retreated to the back room where Kiele was laid to rest. Gaara found this a good time to tell Kankurou what he'd done.

"I got the papers signed..."

Kankurou perked his head up.

"I thought you were going to wait until after the treaty was over with?"

"I decided it was better... not to wait."

Kankurou nodded in understanding.

"Good. The sooner the better."

Gaara nodded as well. He wrung his hands together tightly.

"Her funeral will take place right after the Konohagakure council leaves. May 10th."

Temari exited the room, closing the door quietly behind her. Instead of returning to the table, she made herself comfortable on the living room sofa, switching on the t.v. Gaara stood up and bid his siblings farewell, as he had more work to do back in his office.

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There was a knock on Gaara's office door the next morning. The girl shuffled her feet and wrang her hands anxiously. She raised her hand to knock again, thinking he hadn't heard her, when Gaara spoke.

"Come in," He drawled.

"Kazekage-sama?" She asked, her voice quiet and soft.

Gaara nodded, not bothering to look up as he signed his name to one document, moving on to the next order of bussiness. The girl shuffled her feet again, then bit her bottom lip nervously. Gaara sighed. He thought she was another of those annoying women that stalked him whenever he left the building, but if that was the case, then why had his secretary let her in?

"Listen. I'm preoccupied right now. I have many things on my mind. State your bussiness, or leave," Gaara finally ordered.

"Umm... Gomen nasai to have disturbed you, Kazekage-sama... but I was just wondering... What am I doing here? I woke up with a sand hitaiate on my thigh, and a wristband that reads "Prisoner of the Sand"... how am I the prisoner of the sand? Aren't I a ninja of the sand? And, I have many wounds on my body, could you tell me where they came from?"

Gaara furrowed his brow, then gazed up at the strange rambling girl. His jaw dropped, and his pencil hit the floor with a soft clink.

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"The funeral is off, Kankurou," Gaara announced, walking into his home.

Kankurou furrowed his eyebrows, then glanced over at Temari across the room. He wondered if she had persuaded him into keeping Kiele's body above ground longer.

"Why?"

"Because I said it is. I highly doubt she wants to be buried alive."

Niether of his siblings understood his impertinent talk, but their breath was caught in thier throats as they saw the small framed girl clutching Gaara's arm.

"K-Kiele!" Kankurou breathed.

The ebony haired girl nodded, then ducked back behind the red haired Kazekage. Gaara frowned.

"She came into my office earlier this morning. I am ascertain that she is suffering from severe amnesia."

"Amnesia?" Temari questioned, standing up.

"I don't care what she has! She's alive! She's really alright-"

"No, she's far from alright," Gaara countered.

"She remembers nothing, Temari. Nothing. I had to convince her that her name was Kiele. She doesn't recall ever being a ninja, or going to Konoha. Nor does she remember anything from her childhood. She cannot even remember me."

Temari and Kankurou stared past Gaara at the girl in shock. It was Kiele all right, there was mistake in that. She had the same exact ebony hair, emerald orbs, even the same clothes, and the same wounds from the battle in Konohagakure during the Chuunin Exams. But this foreign girl that clutched to Gaara when she would usually avoid him, this girl that was cold and felt hated, was now timid and diffident. She clutched to the Kazekage's arm, who needless to say, looked slightly uncomfortable. The only Kiele he remember was one that held pain, sorrow, and sometimes anger in her eyes. Never head he seen such an immaculate look on her. Then, realization dawned on him.

_"If she had never been a ninja... if she had never known me, or been the host of a demon... This is how she would have turned out."_

"Kazekage-sama... who are these people?" Kiele asked innocently.

Gaara turned to the amnestic girl behind him. He would no longer know what to expect from this foreign girl. She would be quite irrational from here on.

"You have no reason to be afraid of them, Kiele. They are my brother and sister. She is Temari, and he is Kankurou. They are ninja, and you will have to get used to them because I refuse to babysit you, especially at your age. I have my own job to do."

Kiele nodded, then stood out from behind Gaara. She reluctantly let go of his arm, then brought her hands up to her mouth, as if trying to put a wall between her and these strangers. Temari smiled warmly at her, and Kankurou cracked his knuckles. Kiele felt like an intruder in this home... but somehow, she felt like this was where she belonged.

"Come, Kiele. You can help me fix diner tonight," Temari offered, heading to the kitchen.

Kiele quickly followed suit, feeling the eyes of the two boys' eyes burning into her back. Gaara and Kankurou looked at one another. Kankurou snickered. Gaara scowled.

"What is so funny?" He demanded, crossing his arms across his chest.

"Oh, it's just that this will be an experience to remember," Kankurou laughed.

"Just contemplating to myself... "

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Kiele washed her hands in the kitchen.

"So, what will we be preparing, Temari-san?"

Temari flinched.

"Temari-san?" She cogitated, a smirk on her face.

"You never called me Temari-san."

"I... didn't?" Kiele asked.

She had tilted her head to the side and her eyes were wide. In that instant, she resembled a confused pup.

"Then, what did I call you?"

"Temari. Just Temari. You never used any formalities, excpet when you spoke of the Kazekage," Temari responded, searching the particularly empty fridge for usable cooking ingredients.

Kiele gasped.

"No formalities?" She repeated in awe, as if she had commited some heinous offense.

"But- but you are **the** Kazekage's sister! Ruler of all of Wind Country! You and Kankurou-san deserve proper title! What kind of uncivilzed person was I?"

Temari laughed heartily at Kiele's ignorance. She hadn't laughed like that for a long, long time.

"You weren't uncivilized! Gaara wasn't Kazekage then. He only became Kazekage six months ago. Dad was the Kazekage. The only one you gave a formality," Temari explained.

"Your father was Kazekage? I still should have called you Temari-san!" Kiele insisted.

"You, Kankurou-san, and Gaara-sama were the children of the Kazekage! So why didn't I call you bu proper title?What should I call you?"

Temari pondered how to answer her without getting her upset.

_" "Well, Kankurou and I paid little attention to you when you were small, and you and Gaara were hell-bent on trying to kill one another, so you didn't see it very fitting to call your enemies, the people who made your life miserable, san." Yeah, right. That'll go over real smooth."_

"You see, Kankurou and I... we were too caught up in our nnja training, that we sort of... neglected you, in a way. You and Gaara were friends for a while... until... er, well, Dad didn't want you ahnging around Gaara anymore, and you had to listen, and the two of you split apart."

She apused, then smiled.

"By the way, you can call me o-neesan."

"You are my sister!" Kiele asked in awe.

Temari laughed, shaking her head.

"It just sounds nice to be called elder sister."

Kiele nodded, then returned to what she was truely interested in.

"Why did I have to listen to Kazekage-sama's direct order? Others defied him, didn't they? So why didn't I do the same?"

Temari asked herself why Kiele seemed to ask the questions that were the most difficult to answer. She strained up from the fridge, then grasped ahold of Kiele's wrist, guesturing to the wristband.

"You see this?" Temari inquired, running her fingers over the engraved kanji.

"Your parents betrayed Suna, so as punishment, they had to surrender you to the Kazekage. You are bound to the Kazekage, and all others proceeding him, until death."

"What happened to your father, the former Kagekage?" Kiele asked.

Temari's face became grim.

"He died. Right before you passed out in Konoha, he was murdered. Gaara became the new Kazekage soon after."

"Oh... Go-gomen nasai, Temari-san- I mean, Temari o-neesan..."

Kiele paused, until a thought struck her.

"Does that mean that I belong to Gaara-sama now, since he is the new Kazekage?"

Temari nodded.

"I suppose so. Yes, that is what it means. Now, enough idle chit-chat. We have a diner to fix."

Temari mushed the few ingredients together into a mush, and after a few moments, Kiele was shuddering at Temari's excuse for food.

"Temari... are- are you positive that... _food_... is safe for Kankurou-san and Kazekage-sama to eat?" She asked cautiously.

Temari stared intently at the muck.

"What's wrong with my sushi?" She demanded.

Kiele gazed uncertainly at Temari's, "sushi". Something bubbled up from the mass, and Kiele took a step back.

"I'm not certain Gaara-sams will eat that," She murmured, reacking for a pair of prongs.

Temari rolled her eyes.

"Gaara rarely eats anything anyways."

Kiele prodded the substance with the prongs.

"Kankurou-san will not either, I don't think..."

"Well, you try to fix it," Temari offered, outstretching ahand towards the food.

Flaming criticism on her cooking was what Temari handled best, though not so well with her brother. Kankurou always was incredibly insulting when he dared to try her food.

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After a long hour slaving over the stove, the girls were finally finished with thier sushi. Kiele proudly wiped her forehead with the back of her hand.

"Not bad for someone who's been out cold for almost a year," Temari admitted, popping a small bite into her mouth.

"Was I a good cook, Temari o-neesan?" Kiele inquired, setting the table with plates and silverware.

"Yes, very. My dad always loved your cooking, and so did everyone else."

"Was I complimented often?"

"No. Not once. The only people that ate your food were the ones who were too stubborn to actually give you a compliment."

"Didn't you eat my cooking?"

"Yeah. But I'm stubborn, so I fall under that category."

"But you just complimented me a moment ago," Kiele pointed out.

Temari grinned.

"I did, didn't I? Well, I guess that I'm just so happy to see that you aren't dead."

"Was I missed?"

Temari's smile was wiped from her face almost immeadiately.

"Of course you were! Kankurou and I adored you, we just realized that too late while you were unstable, anf I think Gaara secretly missed you-"

"I was unstable!" Kiele gasped.

Temari made a mental note to slap herself later on for that slip-of-the-tounge incident.

"Well, I said that wrong. You weren't unstable, just... confused, I guess."

"Confused about what? Confused as to why I was alive?" Kiele asked, setting the sushi onto the table.

"Ummm... Yeah, I guess so. You were really distrusting, some things happened that made you feel loathed and despised... but that's another day's story."

Before Kiele could ask what had happened to her that made her that way, Temari called for Kankurou to come down for diner.

"Great, Temari's cooking again... couldn't you just for one night let me starve, just once?" Kankurou taunted, bracing himself for the beating he knew would follow his smart-aleck comment.

As if on cue, Temari picked up her giant fan from the doorway of the kitchen, and thwacked Kankurou upside the head. The poor ninja fell to his knees with swirls in his eyes. Kiele gasped, horrified.

"Temari o-neesan! You killed Kankurou-san!"

Temari laughed as Kiele rushed the the puppeter's aid.

"No, he does that at every meal of the day, even though he knows he'll get hurt for it," Temari explained, glaring down at her brunette brother.

Kiele helped Kankurou to his feet, and he gazed at the table. His eyes traveled over the various types of sushi before him, and he stared at Temari. Then at the perfected sushi. Then back to his sister.

"You made this?" He asked disbelievingly.

"There's just no way."

"I helped!" Kiele piped up proudly.

She looked around the room, then noticed that the family was short one individual. A certain red head was absent.

"Where is Gaara-sama?" She questioned.

"Oh, Gaara?" Kankurou replied, sitting down at the table.

"He's still at work. It's a busy life, you know, ruling an entire country."

He cast his eye upon the food before him. He nearly drooled over the norimaki sushi, until Temari slapped him in the back of the head.

"No drooling on the food," She snapped, closing her eyes.

"I simply refuse to eat anything that has marinated in your slober."

"When will Gaara-sama be free to come home?" Kiele asked, still worried about the Kazekage.

"Probably not until early tomorrow morning," Temari replied.

She noticed Kankurou trying to swipe s few rolls of sushi, and she swatted his hand. Kankurou retreated his hand as if he had touched a blowtorch.

"What was that for!" He demanded, rubbing tha back of his hand gingerly.

"Ladies first," Temari replied bluntly.

Kankurou pouted, crossing his arms childishly.

"I think I'll take some food over to Gaara-sama so he can eat," Kiele announced, piling a plate full of various sushi and heading for the door.

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"Enter."

Kiele balanced the plate in one hand, and carefully opened the door with the other. Gaara glared up at the intruder. Surrounded around him were elder, wise looking men and women.

"Oh... Kazekage-sama, I hope I am not intruding..."

She glanced around the room. The Kazekage was obviously in an important meeting of some sort, judging by the stern look he gave her whne she came in.

"Yes, actually, you are," Gaara replied honestly.

"State your bussiness, Kiele, and leave so that we may return to our treaty."

"Hai, Kazekage-sama... I-I... Temari and I fixed diner, and I thought you might enjoy a meal... G-gomen nasai... Had I known you were meeting with another country, I-"

"Nevermind it. Just give me that plate and leave."

"Hai, hai, of course..."

Kiele quickly surrendered the plate and scrambled from the room. The treaty with Konohagakure ended in success soon after, and Gaara was left alone... with Temari's cooking and a hungry stomache. He shuddered to think what the concoction tasted like this time, but he couldn't pick and choose. He picked up his chopsticks, and poked the substance. He sighed in relief. It was actually dead this time. He brought the substance to his mouth. His eyes widened. He swallowed the food, then dove in for more.

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"...It's hard to believe our luck. First Gaara, and now Kiele."

Kiele returned to her "new" home, when she heard her name mentioned. She pressed her ear against the front door, and listened to thier muffled voices.

"I know," Kankurou agreed.

"But we're lucky Kiele didn't wake up having her memory and see Gaara like he is now. She probably would have keeled over for another eight months. He's gotten so soft, I'm still having trouble getting used to it."

"She would truely be shocked. They were so hateful to one another. Rivaly is a good thing, it makes each other strive to become better, stronger. But not them. Those two bit at each other's throats so much, I was afraid that Kiele would really get killed. She was an exceptional shinobi, but against Gaara... she would have looked sick."

Kiele held a hand to her mouth.

_"Were Gaara-sama and I really so putrid towards one another? He doesn't seem to hate me now..."_

As if Kankurou had read her mind, he added,

"Gaara's gotten soft since we left Konohagakure. He's still cold, but he actually values the lives of others above his own now. I think he as kind to her because your wrong in that aspect, Temari. Sure, they hated one another for a long while, but you remember what she called him before she passed out? She called him tomodachi. Friend. I think that had a big impact on the way he looked at her from then on. I really think he was upset when he thought that she was gone, but maybe we'll see a light hearted side of Gaara now."

"But," Temari warned,

"One wrong move, and it's checkmate for us. Gaara could explode, and resort back to his old ways of residing in Shukaku, and existing to kill everyone else but himself."

Kiele gasped.

_"Gaara-sama... he existed to kill everyone but himself? He... he was a monster? What is Shukaku?"_

Kiele wasn't so sure she wanted to hear anymore. She opened the door, and put a fake smile to cover her pained thoughts. Kankurou shut up on cue, leaning back onto the couch.

"So. Did Gaara eat the food? I sure found it nice... for once."

This earned him yet another smack from Temari's fan. Kiele's fake smile widened.

"He was in the middle of a meeting concerning a treaty with Konohagakure when I got there. I handed his food to him and left so I wouldn't further intrude."

Kiele replied quickly, then retreated to the room she had awoken in. She sat on the bed, bringing her knees to her chest. There was still so many things she didn't know. She yearned for the knowledge that she once had but now lacked, such as why Gaara had been so cold. So hateful. Why she was as hateful as Temari had made her sound. Unstable. Confused. She wasn't confused now. She looked at her kanji wristband. Prisoner of the Sand. The Kazekage's own personal property. That was why she existed. So why had she questioned it before, and been so confused? She yearned to know, but deep down, something told her that she didn't really want to know.

Takai grinned in the back of Kiele's mind. She would hold her tounge for now, until Kiele was ready for the knowledge that habored in the back of her mind.

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And there you have it. The first in the sequel to "A Demon Called Death". This one's out super early, and it makes me happy! - I get a plate of cookies this time!


	2. Takai's Truth and Gaara's Confusion

_**Title of Chapter**_

Yosh, do not fear, chapter dos is here! (dead silence and sounds of crickets.)... (hangs head)... Curse those Spaniards and thier fudging language...

**_Disclaimer:_** Again, I say. I do not own Naruto. And with my hectic schedule, I'm quite relieved that I don't. Thank you, now read, my loyal pawns- er, (cough) I- I mean readers... yes, I said readers...

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"Kazekage-sama, I thank you humbly for your time."

The elderly council man touched the floor in an over-exaggerated bow. Gaara smiled at the man. It was fake, of course, but it wasn't like the man could tell. The man stood to his feet and left, and Kiele shuffled her feet nervously. He was nice to that old man... would he act the same to her? She'd been avoiding him ever since she had overheard Temari and Kankurou's conversation; if Gaara and her had been enimies before, then it probably was quite awkward to him having her hanging around him. And she liked the Kazekage, only she had known him for a month and a half... well, her amnestic self, anyways. But she had to have an answer to her question. She inhaled deeply, then cracked the door open. The red head was engrossed in his work and didn't seem to notice.

_"Of course he knows someone's here,"_ Kiele repremended herself.

_"Gaara-sama's a full-fledged shinobi. He's the Kazekage. There's nothing he doesn't miss."_

Kiele saw Gaara's head begin to lift to the doorway, and she dove behind it. She then furrowed her eyebrows, asking herself why she hid.

"Come in," Gaara sighed in a bored tone.

Kiele slowly ambled into the room, shutting the door behind her. She was greeted by teal black-rimmed eyes that held no emotion. He had his chin propped in his palm, and his pen between his fingers.

_"Well, just spit it out!"_ Kiele mentally scolded herself.

"Gaara-sama..." She began, avoiding his eyes.

"I- I... I just wanted to know... Have you seen Temari?"

"No," Gaara snapped, returning full attention back to his parchment.

"What about Kankurou-san?"

"Both of them are on a mission in Konohagakure. They won't be back for another week."

"Well, then maybe you could-"

"Look, I already made it clear to you that I refused to babysit you. And I don't have time for talk that doesn't matter to me. Leave, Kiele, and I have in fact appriciated the silence of your absence here."

Kiele's heart sank.

_"So... he did notice me avoiding him... or does he just not want me to talk to him here? Just at home? Or niether?"_

She told herself that Gaara didn't want her pestering him at all, so she left without another word. If it didn't matter to Gaara, maybe Temari would care. She'd make sure to ask when she returned.

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Kiele's bedroom light was on when Gaara came home that night. It was pitch black dark with the exception of light filtering from the bottom of her bedroom door. A shadow was pacing back and forth at random at the bottom of the door, and Gaara couldn't help but be curious as to what she was doing. He cracked the door open and looked around. Kiele sat with her back to him, running her hand up her right arm. There was a large scar trailing up it. She ran her slender fingers through the rut of the scar, and she furrowed her eyebrows. She looked at the hitaiate still on her thigh, and with her fingers she traced the hourglass shape. She then merely sat still for several moments, just staring at her hands, until she lifted her head to the door. The Kazekage quickly perambled into the doorway before he was spotted. Kiele blinked, her face blank from being lost in lost.

"It isn't polite to stare," Gaara stated simlpy.

Kiele realized that she was in fact staring, and who she was staring at. Her face flushed as she stared down at her feet again.

"Are- are you hungry?" Kiele inquired softly, her voice barely audiable.

Gaara shrugged.

"Not really."

"Well tell me if you get hungry- "

"What did you inturrpt me for at the office?"

"I wanted to know... where I recieved this scar. It is quite troublesome and hideous to look at."

Kiele gazed at the ground, then showed Gaara the scar trailng her arm. Gaara's eyes narrowed dangerously.

**_"Then kill me now."_**

_**"Fine!" Gaara snarled. **_

_**His sand wrapped around Kiele's right arm, and her eyes widened.**_

_**"Subaku Soso!"**_

_**Kiele screamed in agony as her arm was crushed by the sand. The sand only tightened.**_

_**"I told you to leave! There is nothing more between us than that of hate!"**_

Yes... He remembered the origin of that scar all too well.

"You recieved that scar from me," Gaara replied bitterly, turning to leave.

Kiele gasped. She gazed at her arm, then at Gaara's retreating back. Hearing that only aroused her curiousity. She cautiously followed after him.

"But... how?" She asked quietly.

"Why... why did you- "

"It's not the best memory I have," Gaara snapped, trying to get his point across.

He sat down on the couch in the dark, crossing his arms and glaring ahead at nothingness. Kiele sat down beside him. Gaara tensed when he felt Kiele's touch. She gentley touched his wrists.

"I won't ask anymore questions. And I'll try not to be so inquiring. With any luck, I'll just regain my memory soon so I won't have to ask."

She kept her hands on his wrists, hoping that she was reassuring him. But what was going on inside of Gaara was nothing of the sort. His chest tightened, and his wrists tingled. A part of him wanted to shove her away and curse at her for touching him. Tell her to leave him alone, because that was what is was. Alone. Isolated. But because of that same emotion, something inside of him wanted more of her touch. Wanted her to stay beside him forever, because of the fear of being alone again. Isolated once for the rest of his life. Kiele, oblivious to how she was affecting him, stood up and went into the kitchen. Gaara remained motionless, only his breathing was calm while his mind raced. Kiele had never touched him so lovingly before. No one had. Only Kiele's caring voice brought his back from the depths of his mind.

"What do you feel like having tonight, Gaara-sama?" She asked tenderly, poking her ebony head around the corner.

"Tempura or Yakitori?"

Gaara peered at the fagile girl before him. He blinked a few times, trying to clear his mind. He slowly stood up, then sat down on his knees at the low table.

"Yakitori," He replied bluntly after recollecting himself.

Kiele nodded, then retreated back into the kitchen.

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"So..." She began, avoiding direct eye contact.

"H- How has diner been the past few nights, Kaxekage-sama? I've been helping Temari o-neesan with it..."

**(Niiiice. Real smooth, ningen. Yes, let's talk about diner while the Kazekage has much more impotant things than this,) **Takai teased.

_"Please, Takai-san..."_

Her inner demon smirked. Kiele watched Gaara eat intently. Gaara plucked a piece of Yakitori from his plate with his chopsticks.

"It tasted weird," Gaara confessed.

Kiele looked down at her hands.

"Oh... well, I guess I'll just leave the cooking to Temari o-neesan..."

Gaara was quick to protest.

"That wasn't what I meant. It tasted weird, because it actually tasted halfway decent. These past few nights, I've actually been eating food."

Kiele laughed at his cruel joke, then covered her mouth in an instant when she realized what she was doing. Gaara nearly fell over.

_"Kiele... laughing?" _

He couldn't think of a time she'd actually laughed, when it wasn't bitter. Wait, there was once when the two of them where six, and Gaara had eaten something sour, and Kiele laughed at his facial expression...

He closed his eyes and sighed.

_"Six years of age..."_

He didn't want to remember that. He tried to think of something else, but his mind wouldn't permit him. The only thoughts that he recieved were those of Kiele.

"Gaara-sama," Kiele piped again.

Gaara looked up at her, deep in thought.

_"Her?"_ He ruminated.

_"She is what is implanted so firmly in my mind? But why?"_

"Could I be excused?"

Gaara nodded. Kiele rushed to her room, shutting the door behind her. He wondered why she had gone off in such a rush, but pushed the thought aside.

_"I am grateful for every chance that I get to get her out of my mind."_

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Kiele clambered up onto the roof, then decided that it was time to pester her inner demon... again.

_"Takai! Please explain to me why Gaara-sama is so tense around me."_

Takai laughed. It was a hollow, vain laugh.

**(So you did in fact notice him tense when you touched him.)**

_"Hai... I did. And I must know. Why does he hate me? Why is he colder to me than what he is to everyone else? What did I do to him?"_

Takai contemplated on wether or not to tell the ignorant girl.

**(I give up. Temari, Kankurou, and Gaara may be able to hide the truth from you, but I cannot. So, it's like this. The reason you are insomniac- )**

_"Is because of you?"_

**(No,)** Takai answered solemnly.

**(It is because you were afraid of being killed in your sleep for so long, it is now a habit for you not to be able to sleep at night. Gaara and you used to be very... how should I say... **violent**, towards one another.)**

Kiele sighed.

_"I know. I gathered that much from Temari o-neesan and Kankurou-san's conversation. But what led us into such a rivalry?"_

Takai laughed that hollow laugh again.

**(If I told an innocent mind such as yours, you'd be wrecked for life.)**

_"Wasn't I hopless before?"_

**(Tch... You don't miss a thing, do you? Catch on quick... But I guess that is a trait you will never lose, even with amnasia.)**

_"So... you're not going to tell me, Takai?"_

**(... No. Not now. You simply are not ready for such a step. It will come to you, all in good time. I promise.)**

Kiele shook her head.

_"Promises are merely words. And words are broken with time."_

Takai smirked.

**(I see that you still have the same sense of morality. Lovely.)**

_"Had I ever... said that before?"_

**(Once. The exact words, actually.)**

_"Is... that a good thing?"_

**(Very. You had several good traits, such as being on time and determination. Unfortunately, I have to say that your bad outweighed your good. You were dishonest, unfaithful, independent, and rash. But all for a reason, of course. You were raised under an extremely unstable environment.)**

Kiele frowned.

_"Do I still have those traits? Am I still dishonest and unfaithful?"_

Takai shook her head.

**(No. You feel loved, now, where before you did not. You feel that Temari and Kankurou care deeply for you. It is Gaara that- )**

_"Is the only who who hates me,"_ Kiele finshed for her inner demon.

**(Gaara doesn't hate you, Kiele. Not like he used to, anyways. He is just unsure of how he should act around you. You remember nothing of your past, therefore you don't have reason to act like you did before.)**

Kiele bit her bottom lip.

_"Even when I get my memory back, I will retain good traits. Before I recollect myself, I want to befriend Gaara. That way, I will never go back to the way I was. I don't like the way that you and the others have made me sound. So bitter and... empty."_

Takai snickered.

**(Befriend Gaara, huh... now there's a long-term goal to set your mind to. You'll be striving for that one for the rest of your mortal life. It won't happen.)**

Kiele pursed her lips and smiled.

_"Somehow... I get the feeling that this isn't the first you've told me that."_

Takai froze.

**(You remember much more than you think.)**

Kiele smiled.

_"I'm glad. I can't wait until I can remember everything again!"_

Takai wasn't so sure she would.

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Two weeks later...

"Well, lookie here! She did it!" Came Kankurou's amused yet enthralled voice.

Gaara closed his eyes in irritation, sipping his ume wine. (**A/N**: "Ume" is japanese for plum, and plum wine is a really, **really** strong type of wine... at least it is in my opinion. If it wasn't so strong, I might have liked it.)

"That's great, Kiele! At this rate, you'll become the ninja you were before!"

Gaara nearly choked on his wine.

_"The ninja she was!"_

He stood to his feet, abandoning his ume wine. Sliding open the front door, he was nearly glomped by an ecstatic Kiele.

"Gaara-sama!" She cried joyfully.

"Gaara-sama! I did it! I really preformed it!"

"A jutsu?" Gaara inquired, shoving the girl off of him.

"Which one?"

"Her favorite!" Kankurou boasted on Kiele's part.

"Her signature jutsu!"

"S-Suna Fuotide!" Gaara questioned in awe.

"But... That technique... how can she preform **any** justu?"

"That's the weird thing!" Temari piped cheerfully.

"I can't preform the jutsu, niether can Kankurou, and I know that you didn't teach her with your hectic schedule as Kazekage, so- "

"She taught herself..." Gaara breathed, watching Kiele summon her signature sand fist.

"Precisely," Kankurou grinned.

Kiele smiled. Gaara frowned.

_"She making an extremely quick recovery... At this rate, within a year, her mind and memory will be fully functional..."_

It had been so long since Gaara could actually sit down and have a decent conversation with someone other than his brother. This Kiele sat down beside him, of her own free will, and talked to him. Talked to him as if he were actually **_human_**. He cringed, grasping his forearms tightly. Gaara wasn't so sure he wanted to give up this luxury so soon.

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Badum, BADUM! Gomen! I think this one is a tad shorter than usual... And I'm so sorry about that! Oh well, at least it's not as short as some other stories on here... I've come across some with only 200 and some words! 0.o What the crap kind of story is that?


	3. Cookies and Realization

_**Cookies and Creame**_

Hello, hello, hello, hello... welcome to Ash in Wonderland, where all your dreams may come true... Nah, who am I kidding? My mind is no wonderland, if anything, it's a nuthouse... :( Oh well! If there wasn't anything good about my nuthouse mind, you wouldn't be reading this right now. Heh heh heh... I also have an important announcement to make- HIGH SCHOOL SUCKS! No, it really does... (chucks biology book at Biology teacher) Curse you and your excessive homework! (cries) My gameboy yearns for special attention that it's been lacking for some time now!

**_Disclaimer:_** I fail once again to own Naruto. I don't **want** to own Naruto with my wacky schedule. In fact I'm quite relieved. However, if I want to own Gaara in this story, I can. I can make him drink kool-aid, do acrobatics, and fall in love with his own sister of all people like some incest stories I see on here if I wanted. But thankfully, I'm not that cruel.

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Gaara's leg dangled from the roof of his desert home, his arm draped over his leg. He stared out at the sunrise, the shades of purple, red, orange, and pink blending together like a watercolor work. The warm arid breeze tossed his flaming tresses in varied directions as he stared intently at the sun, as if trying to figure out some secret that it was hiding from him. There was the sound of a door opening and then closing from inside his home. So Kiele had gotten up earlier than usual this morning to fix the sand siblings thier breakfast. He closed his eyes, sighing into the morning.

"Good morning, Gaara-sama!" Kiele greeted, a shy smile on her lips.

Gaara tried to glare at her as she had just insulted him, but all that formed was a blank stare. He had been trying to not begin to like Kiele. It would make matters far too complicated for the poor Kazekage. But he was finding her new niave and sweet charm harder and harder to dislike as the days progressed.

"Are you hungry?" Kiele asked.

Gaara knelt down on the cushion in defeat. He couldn't just make himself hate a girl who was so selfless to him.

"I suppose. What are you cooking?"

Kiele mentally cheered.

_"Kazekage-sama isn't pushing me away from him today!"_

"I was thinking of fixing soup, rice, and sashimi, but then again I could always fix whatever you would prefer."

Gaara shook his head.

" Miso soup is fine. Whatever you want to cook, just don't let Temari put her paws on it."

"Hey, I heard that Gaara."

Gaara smirked as he was glared down upon a grouchy, just-awoken Temari.

"I know. That's mainly why I said it."

Kiele giggled. Had that been Kankurou that had insulted Temari's cooking, that comment would have earned him a baffling thump on the head with her fan. But Kiele had come to learn that **no one** dared to object to Gaara. As a matter of fact, Kankurou and Temari had always seemed to treat Gaara much differently than everyone else, and seem to be much more precariuously, like valuable porcelain. Kiele wondered why.

Kiele stirred the soup, then quickly wiped her hands and cut the fish. She then sweetened the rice. Temari noticed her rushing around the kitchen like something was on fire, and offered to help her. Kiele didn't have a chance to answer, before Gaara swiftly told her to stay away from his food. Temari looked insulted.

"I smell miso," Kankurou stated, decending from the stairs.

Kankurou rubbed his eyes and yawned. Kiele smiled at the puppeteer.

"Yes, Kankurou-san. I am cooking miso soup, rice, and sashimi for breakfast today."

Kankurou nodded.

"Sounds good, Kiele imooto."

Kiele smiled and her heart soared. She loved to hear Kankurou and Temari call her "younger sister". She didn't know why, but it just made her feel needed. Feel so... loved. She briskly swept the fish from the plate and onto three individual saucers. Pouring the soup into bowls, she noticed Kankurou sneaking into the kitchen out of the corner of her eye. Smiling to herself, Gaara cleared his throat.

"Sit down and wait like everyone else, Kankurou," He snapped.

Kankurou swallowed, then ran to his seat and sat down on his knees. Kiele giggled.

_"Kankurou-san always seems to bite off more than he can chew..."_

As she finished dumping the rice into the siblings bowls, her body froze over. Her eyes became blank, as those of a dead corpse's. She fell to the floor, Gaara's bowl of rice going down with her. It shattered on the floor into several shards. If any of the sand siblings had heard her fall and came to her aid, she didn't know. She was unconscious before she hit the floor.

**Sharne Kiele.**

Kiele's eyebrows furrowed in her sleep.

_"What?"_

**Kiele... do you hear me?**

_"Yes. Who are you?"_

**Kiele! Please! Answer me if you can hear me!**

_"But I can hear you!"_

**Kiele! I command you! Answer me now!**

_"I _am _answering you!"_

Kiele's eyes sprang open, and she saw an elderly woman hovering inches above her face. Kiele, frightened by how close this strange woman was to her face, she sank into the comforter. The old woman smiled.

"She is in fact alright," She declared, turning to Gaara, who was leaning against the wall on Kiele's right.

Gaara nodded, standing up straight, and glared down at her. Kiele looked away, ashamed. His eyes suggested to her that she had done something wrong.

"I think she just had a little malfunction where she wanted her body to move, and it refused. In response, she collapsed."

"But if that is the case, then why did she black out as well?" Gaara demanded.

The elderly woman shrugged sarcastically.

"A side effect of her body's rejection, perhaps?"

She glanced at Gaara disapprovingly, which caught Kiele's attention. To her shock, Gaara looked slightly guilty. But the look was gone faster than it had come.

"Her body rejected...?" Gaara repeated, his expression emotionless once again, though his voice hinted confusion.

The old woman nodded, then opened the door. Before she left, she looked at Gaara over her shoulder.

"Be extremely careful with that herbal medicine, Kazekage-sama. Another incident like this, and one may not wake back up from thier slumber."

Gaara stared at the floor, pretending not to listen. But the woman smirked to herself, then left. This left Kiele curious, but she held her tounge. She had promised the Kazekage not to ask so many questions.

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Gaara entered his family home that night, around ten at night. He inhaled once, and closed his eyes. There was an intoxicating smell slowly but surely consuming him. A faint grin, barely noticeable, formed on his face. He exhaled, and inhaled deeply again.

Gaara smelled _cookies_.

And they were chocolate chip, too.

He was in heaven.

Someone had some sharing to do.

He ran into the kitchen, and nearly melted on the spot. He was overwhelmed by the glorious scent of rich and warm chocolate chip cookies. Of course, it was Kiele baking the cookies, Temari's cooking wouldn't have had such an intoxicating result. Gaara would be gagging instead of swooning over the smell. He tried to contain himself, but was finding it harder than usual. I mean, who could ignore the scent of the little doughy morsels? He stared at the oven door that hid the delicacies.

"Gaara-sama, you're home!" Kiele chimed happily.

"I hope you like these cookies! I made them especially for you, since Temari o-neesan told me you liked cookies."

Gaara nodded, never taking his eyes off of the oven door.

"Are they almost done?" He asked.

He knelt down in front the door, and tried to see the cookie pan through the door. No such luck.

"Actually, I just put them in a few minutes before you came home."

Gaara pouted. He had to wait for his cookies. He stood up, then glanced over, seeing something on the counter that made his eyes brighten.

_"Cookie dough..."_

Kiele saw his eyes glaze over when he spotted the bowl of extra cookie dough, then pulled back on Gaara's arm.

"You haven't even eaten dinner yet, Gaara-sama!" She laughed.

"You can't eat cookies, or cookie dough until you've eaten a stable meal!"

_"You can't eat cookies, or cookie dough until you've eaten a stable meal!"_

_"... until you've eaten a stable meal!"_

Gaara growled. The only thing holding him back from having his beloved was a fragile girl. Easy enough obstacle to remove. With a little stragectic thinking, this girl would be out of the way, and he would be free to have his cookie dough. She wasn't a shinobi anymore, after all. Without provoking any force upon her.

Gaara nodded, pretending that it was alright. Kiele giggled. Gaara sat at the table, then cleared his throat. Kiele peered around the corner of the kitchen doorframe, a bottle of soy sauce in her hand.

"Yes?"

"I heard Temari calling you from her room upstairs," Gaara lied.

"Oh! Okay!" Kiele replied, running up the stairs after setting down the soy sauce.

Gaara wasted no time in running into the kitchen. He felt another's presence in the kitchen, but he paid it no attention as he reached for the bowl with cookie dough. To his dismay, slender fingers caught his hand. His eyes trailing up the arm, he saw it was connected to Kiele. She grinned at him. Gaara's mouth twitched.

"Kankurou-san taught me the replication technique," She explained, a smile plastered on her face.

Gaara scowled. He, _the_ Kazekage, was fooled by a greenhorn ninja? That idea didn't settle very well into his mind. Kiele released Gaara's hand, then shook her finger back and forth teasingly. Her other hand rested on her hip.

"Now, Gaara-sama, dinner is almost done. Please, wait a few more minutes! Then you can eat your meal, then your cookies!"

Gaara considered actually waiting... but he founf that idea hard to make himself abide by. He wasn't exactly the patient type. But he nodded in any case, then returned to his seat. This would be harder than he'd thought. He had no idea what else Kankurou and Temari had taught her. Kiele returned to her cooking, and the scent of the cookies was becoming unbarable. He could have swore the delicacies were calling his name. (**A/N**: Boy, cookies sure do make Gaara childish... shifty eyes...)

Dinner seemed to take forever to make tonight. What Kiele said would take a few minutes to make seemed to be more like hours. He did anything and everything to try and make the time pass. He rapped his fingers on the table and twindled his thumbs, but nothing was working.

"Hey, Kiele! C'mere a sec!" Kankurou called from his room.

"Coming!" Kiele responded, running up the stairs.

Gaara wondered if he should try his luck with the lucious dough again, that maybe, just maybe, she didn't leave another clone. But he concluded that Kiele wasn't that stupid. Of course she left another clone waiting for him. He couldn't help himself. Standing up, he rushed into the kitchen. Just as he was about to have a small taste of heaven, a female voice aggrivated him in his moment of glory.

"Gaara!" Temari called from the doorway.

"Don't forget about that trip to Konohagakure we have to make in a week-"

She paused, seeing Gaara by the counter. She eyed him suspiciously, then grinned as she realized what he was doing.

"No, Gaara. I don't think so. Kiele wouldn't let Kankurou or me have cookie dough, so niether can you. It's only fair."

"She doesn't have to know..." Gaara mumbled under her breath.

"Anyways, I just got word from the council that- "

"Dinner's ready!" Kiele chimed, running down the stairs.

She sprinted into the kitchen past Temari and Gaara, whisking the pan from the stove top. She ushered the two out of the kitchen and towards the table, where Kankurou was already seated.

While the sand siblings ate, Gaara heard Kiele take the cookies out of the oven. He ate faster and by the time Kiele had the cookies transitioned onto another plate, he was finished and had resorted tailing her through the kitchen. Kiele noticed, and happily found this a nice transition from the usual cold, solemn Gaara that she was so accustomed to. Temari and Kankurou had both finished thier dinner, and went outside to spar with one another.

_"I need to bake cookies more often," _Kiele mused with a smile.

Finally, she permitted Gaara to have cookies. But when Gaara stole eight of the twelve, she stopped him.

"Don't be so greedy!" She scolded him playfully.

"Kankurou, Temari, and I would like to have some too!"

"There's still four left!" Gaara insisted grouchily.

He was the Kazekage. He was supposed to recieve special treatment, especially after a hard day's work. At least, that how he saw it.

"True, but you have eight!"

"So?"

Kiele laughed. She had never been on such a playful side of the Kazekage before.

"I made enough so that each of us could have three."

Gaara pouted. Kiele giggled.

_"He's cute when he acts like a child!"_

She gave in.

"Fine, I give up, Gaara-sama! I'll give you two of my three."

Satisfied, Gaara returned three cookies to the plate, hiding his five cookies from view in case Kiele decided to change his mind. Kiele smiled as she nibbled on hers. Gaara leaned against the counter. He was back in serious mode, much to Kiele's disapointment. She suddenly had a flash of genius.

"Gaara-sama... would you like to have the cookie dough as well?"

Gaara's head jerked up. He stared at the small bowl of doughy goodness now in Kiele grasp. She giggled, then ran into the dinning room. Gaara watched her run, and she laughed.

"Well... you'll have to catch me first, Gaara-sama!"

She took off at a run into the living room, her laughter filing the entire house. Gaara sighed. He knew that if he chased after this girl, and for the sole purpose of _cookie dough_, his reputation would go down the drain. His eyes closed, and memories of thier childhood together flashed before his eyes. Then, he saw himself staring down at Kiele on the roof top of a Konoha hotel.

_**"Kiele."**_

_**"I thought you lied."**_

_**"Lied?" Kiele whispered, afraid to get a tone louder than his.**_

_**"When?"**_

_**"When you told me that the Kazekage forbade you to speak to me."**_

_**"Yo-you were listening earlier, when I was talking to Kankurou?"**_

_**Gaara didn't respond, but his eyes were answer enough for her. Kiele swallowed. Gaara's hands grasped his arms tightly.**_

_**"Everything you said... your apologizes, your worried expression when I left on a mission... it wasn't a lie."**_

_**"Tell me. If the Kazekage had never told you to keep away from me, would you have stayed with me?"**_

_**"Y-yes... I would have..."**_

_**Everything was quiet for a long while, until Gaara pressured the subject again.**_

_**"And if the Kazekage were gone, would count his order as void, and come back to me?"**_

_**"W-well... t-that all depends..."**_

_**"Depends on what?" Gaara demanded.**_

_**"I-it depends... on whether or not, you'd be willing to forgive me, and take me back. I can't return to you as your friend if you don't accept me and my unworthy apology."**_

Gaara heard Kiele's laughter stop. She peeked at him around the the wall. Her asked asked if he was going to play along. He crossed his arms, then shot her a stern glare.

"Kiele," He began bluntly.

"You are not a child, so stop acting like one. I will not chase you, not for meager sweets, not for any reason."

His tone was cold and curt. Perfect for getting his point across, in which he succeeded. Kiele nodded, then walked back behind the wall that seperated her and the red head. She looked down at the bowl in her hands guilty. Her heart sank as she recalled the previous night's conversation with Temari.

_"Temari-san... could I ask you something?"_

_Temari glanced up at the girl. Her eyes were sadened. Scooting aside, she made space her to sit beside of her._

_"Sure, Kiele. What about?"_

_Kiele sat down beside Temari and confided in her elder sister- figure._

_"Today I went to visit Gaara-sama in the office. There were children in there younger than Iwho were with thier father, and Gaara-sama didn't seem to mind them. But I come in to say hello, and he scolds me. His tone is different compared to the one he has towards you and Kankurou-san. He talks to me so much colder, and he avoids talking to me at all if he can help it. And his eyes... they are always so harsh. It's almost as if he..."_

_She paused, looking down at her feet._

_"... as if he hates me."_

_Temari shook her blonde head._

_"No no, Kiele-chan. He doesn't hate you. You have to understand that you and Gaara didn't get along at all. The two of you clashed. He's having a hard time adjusting to your new attitude is all."_

_"So he does h-hate me!" Kiele droaned, her voice cracking._

_"I don't want to be hated... I- I want to be..."_

_Temari wrapped a protective arm around Kiele's shoulders._

_"Alright, so Gaara's a little bitter towards you. But that doesn't mean that he hates you. Hate is a very strong word, Kiele, and it shouldn't be used so carelessly."_

_Kiele recalled a time in which she hadn't left his office when he told her, so he sent his sand on her. It thrust her out of the room wth such force that she was knocked completely onto her back._

_"I think that this is an occasion where it isn't so careless," Kiele murmured, leaving the room._

It all seemed to fall together for Kiele now. The cold eyes, the cruel tone... Him treating her like a child wasn't an excuse, because he would drink sake with Kankurou and Temari on occasion, and help Kankurou fix the Crow, or aid Temari with the cleaning of her fan. But Gaara refused to ever help Kiele with her jutsu, saying that he didn't exist to be her personal sensei. Not once had he thanked her for anything, when he gratefully thanked Temari and Kankurou.

Kiele had always had the idea that Gaara hated her, and now that was just clarified.

Placing the bowl back in the kitchen, she walked up to the roof, not saying anything to Gaara all the while. Not even looking at him. There she stayed, even when Temari and Kankurou returned from thier spar. Even when night had passed and a new day had unfolded, she remained there, gazing out at the sunset with its many colors painted in the sky. This was how she must've felt. Sad and isolated, knowing that the _one_ she wanted acceptance from the most didn't want her acceptance. She finally understood, at long last.

There was nothing she could do about it, either.

Gaara hated her, and now she wasn't stupid enougth to think otherwise.

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And there you go! I finally updated! I hope you liked the latest instalment!


	4. Reunitions and Prisoners

_**Reunitions and Prisoners**_

Notes

**_Disclaimer:_** Naruto does not reside here. He resides at Masashi Kishimoto's. Go check there if you really want to meet the Naruto cast. XD

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Kiele would usually be decending down the stairs this time in the morning. She would be walking downstairs with a fake smile on in order to make Kankurou and Temari feel better. But instead, she sat on the roof watching the sunrise. Today was completely different from other days. She wasn't happy to see the sun this morning. For some strange reason, as she watched the sun kiss the horizon, she was reminded of spilled blood.

"Hey, Kiele! Get down here and fix breakfast! We're leaving for Konohagakure today, remember?"

Kiele heard Kankurou's voice, but a voice in the back of her head told her to stay and tattoo the reds of the horizon into her mind. That this was the environment she was born into, and the same one in which she would always stay.

"Kiele! Did you hear me?"

Kiele sighed, but stood to her feet nonetheless. Walking into the kitchen, she saw Gaara sitting at the table out of the corner of her eye. He expected an innocent, "Good morning, Gaara-sama!", or in the least a, "How was your night, Kazekage-sama?". But when she passed by him without a single word, he opened his eyes and looked curiously at her back. She fixed dinner without a word to anyone, which was unusual. She would usually ask Temari if she would like to help her, and playfully reprimend Kankurou when he tried to steal a bite. Instead, when he tried to steal a sausage patty, Kiele did nothing to prevent him. She let him take it without a word. When Kankurou saw that the girl wasn't playing along, he replaced the sausage on the plate and left the kitchen. She made four plates of food, then left to finish packing her belongings in which she hadn't gotten last night. Kankurou stared at her back as she left. He glanced over at Temari.

"She's acting differently this morning."

Temari nodded, swallowing her sausage.

"She's acting like the original Kiele."

Gaara started to choke on his toast at her comment. Temari and Kankurou turned thier attention on thier younger brother.

"Gaara! Gaara, are you alright?" Temari asked, dropping her fork.

However, Kankurou just laughed.

"He's fine, Temari! He's just being clumsy!"

Gaara took a drink of orange juice, washing the toast down his throat. He glared down at his plate as if it was its fault he was choked.

_"That herbal medicine of Chiyo's... Regaining her memory is exactly what that's supposed to prevent! So why is she recovering even faster!"_

Gaara clutched the bottle in his sash. Kankurou tilted his head to the side.

"What do you have, Gaara?"

Gaara glared up at Kankurou, then pulled out the vial. He sprinkled the herb over Kiele's food. He wouldn't overdose the medication this time. Temari's jaw dropped. Kankurou stood to his feet.

"Now just wait a second, Gaara!" He shouted.

"What is that shit you're giving Kiele?"

Gaara replaced the cork on the top of the vial.

"It's a remedy I asked Chiyo for," He replied bluntly.

Kankurou's tone softened.

"Remedy? For what? Is Kiele sick?"

Gaara's eyes narrowed.

"Baka. Of course she's sick. She's amnestic, remember?"

"So... that's a remedy to help her regain her memory?" Temari questioned.

"No," Gaara snapped heatedly.

"It's the contrary. It's to prevent her from getting her memory back. It's powerful enough that as long as I keep giving her it, she'll never return to her original state of mind."

Kankurou's tone rose again.

"That isn't fair on Kiele's part, Gaara! You can't deprive her of her own memories and of her life!"

"That isn't your desicion to make, Kankurou."

"It's no more yours than mine!"

Gaara glared at Kankurou, rising to his feet. He was shorter than Kankurou, but he still had the ability to indimidate him dispite his height.

"Stay out of matters that don't concern you, Kankurou. I am doing her the biggest favor of her life, taking away her memory. I would love it if I could have my memory taken from me for just a day. She thinks she in pain not knowing, but how bad do you think she'll be hurt if she remembers now?"

Kankurou froze, as if contemplating Gaara's reasoning.

"She'd be ashamed that she's actually _touched_ me. Ever even looked me in the eyes."

"Gaara, quit being so stupid!" Kankurou bellowed.

Temari gasped, and Gaara's eyes widened.

"What did you say?" Gaara hissed slowly, yet venomously.

He was trying to brush off Kankurou's words, that everyone was entitled to thier own opinon, but he was finding that harder to do when he had called him stupid.

"Kiele's last words in Konoha towards you were "Gaara" and "friend". Put it together, Gaara. She would be ashamed, angry, or even regretful. I know she had to have had her own reasons for saying what she said. She cared for you, Gaara, whether or not you're willing to accept that. I personally think that she always did. And now she doesn't know that she cared for you, she doesn't know why she would, because you've been quite the ass towards her!"

"Kankurou- !" Temari began.

Kankurou waved her off, then left the room. Gaara sat back down, his arms folded. Kiele slumped down the steps, then sat down to her plate. After she ate, the sand siblings and Kiele left for Konoha. There were few words exchanged, if any, they were all by Temari. With Kiele building a wall between her and the sand trio, Kankurou not approving of Gaara's methods of wiping Kiele's past clear, and Gaara angry at Kankurou for questioning his ways, it was no suprise why coversation was infrequent. After two day's silence, Kankurou finally spoke.

"Hey Kiele, look. We're almost there, I can see flowers!"

Kankurou pointed to a small plain of lush green in the midst of the desert coming into view. Gaara shook his head.

"We still have a days' walk yet."

Kankurou's smile was wiped off of his face at the red head's words, hanging his head in defeat.

"Damn."

"What is Konohagakure no Sato like? Have I ever been there before?"

Temari nodded, pleased that Kiele was finally giving in to the silence after two entire days.

"Yes. Konohagakure is where you fell down at, and where we thought you had lost your life."

"I waged battle here?" Kiele asked incredulously, her eyes growing wide as saucers.

"Yes," Temari replied.

"Against whom?"

Gaara cringed.

"His name was... Uzumaki Naruto. We both fought Naruto, you and I."

Kiele's jaw dropped.

"I fought alongside the Kazekage!"

Gaara shook his head.

"I wasn't the Kazekage then."

"But you were the future Kazekage. To be able to fight next to you... I must have been a powerful shinobi!"

For the first time in two days, Kiele smiled. She stopped walking and turned to Kankurou.

"Kankurou- san!" She urged.

"Was I a magnificent shinobi like Gaara- sama?"

Gaara chuckled, his laugh barely audible. He found it quite amusing that Kiele was calling him "magnificent". He never would get used to this Kiele. There were some traits that she apparently hadn't lost, even with amnesia. She was still irrational, still full of suprises.

Kankurou grinned.

"You were alright."

Kiele frowned. She pushed Kankurou, nearly knocking him down. Kankurou laughed.

"Was that all that I was? "Alright"?" She pouted.

She grinned, then began walking again to catch up with Gaara.

"I bet I was better than you, Kankurou-san! At least I didn't play with dolls!"

"What!" Kankurou bellowed disbelievingly.

Temari laughed, and even Gaara laughed slightly to himself.

_"Kankurou, playing with dolls..."_

"Why you- Come back here!"

Kiele giggled like a child, running in front of Gaara for protection from Kankurou. Looking up at his stern face, she straightened up. Her smile vanished, and she fell back behind him, only to be caught in a headlock by Kankurou. She pouted, clawing at Kankurou's arms.

"Kankurou-san!" She whined.

"That's not fair! You cheated!"

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"Here we are. Konohagakure."

Kiele bounced on her toes ecstaticly. There were so many lush trees, beautiful homes and shops, strangely dressed people, and...

"Yosh! Hello there, Kiele! Good to see you again!"

"Aiyeeee!"

...And huge, fuzzy eyebrows.

The young genin striaghtened, offended. He glanced coldly up at Gaara, tightening his grasp on his crutches.

"I've went through a lot of trouble because of you."

Gaara tilted his head, looking Lee up and down. He did, in fact, look bad off. Crutches, a robe, scars... He had been in the hospital every since they had fought one another over a year ago. Gaara felt a sudden pang of guilt shoot through him.

"I can see," Was the only thing he could muster.

Lee turned his attention back to Kiele. She backed away, intimidated by the huge eyebrows. But Lee didn't notice.

"I'm so glad Gaara brought you with him! The entire village has heard of his arrival, and I'd hoped that he would bring you with him! I've been wanting a chance to thank you!"

He guesured his head to the pocket of his blue robe, smiling. Kiele took that as a sign to take whatever was there, so she did. She pulled out a wilting lotus. Lee's smile widened.

"Remember that?" He asked.

When she stared at it, confused, his smile faultered.

"You... you don't remember?"

She shook her head slowly. Lee looked hurt, and Gaara found this a chance to explain.

"The last time we were here, during the Chuunin Exams, Kiele passed out and when she awoke, she didn't remember me, Kankurou, or Temari. She couldn't even remember her own name. Her memory was completely blank."

Lee's filled with pity, and his smile returned.

"No problem! Then I shall tell you!"

He leaned against a tree, then began.

"My name, is Rock Lee of the Village Hidden in the Leaves. During the Chuunin Exams, I fought with Gaara. This is the very reason I am depending upon crutches."

Kiele looked at Gaara.

_"Gaara-sama... M'lord did that to this kindly boy!"_

Lee continued.

"You told me that you knew the lotus of Konohagakure bloomed twice. You also said that I reminded you of a lotus, and that during my fight with Gaara I had done better than I took for granted. But what meant the most to me, was when you told me that you expected the next time I bloomed, I would be even more spectacular."

Lee's eyes glazed over, and Kiele gazed down at the lotus in her hands.

_"I... I said that? I thought that I was all bad..."_

She smiled.

"Yes. I will look forward to the time you bloom magnificently once more. And I hope that I am present."

She returned the flower to Lee's pocket, and turned to leave with the sand siblings.

"Wait!" Lee called.

The four halted, then turned back to Lee. He hobbled over to them on his crutches, smiling.

"I said that I wanted to thank you, Kiele!"

Kiele rose her hands up in front of her.

"Oh no, Lee-kun. You don't have to- !"

"But I insist!" Lee urged.

"It would be rude to refuse if he's the one offering," Kankurou commented from the sidelines.

"Mind your manners, Kiele-chan."

Kiele nodded, turning back to Lee. Lee's smile broadened.

"Please take my Hidden Leaf hitaiate!"

Kiele brought a hand to her mouth, then shook her head madly.

"But, that is yours! It is your proof of being a ninja! I can't take that from you- !"

"Please! Take it! I can get another from Guy-sensei, no problem! But I want you to have my hitaiate that I wore when I bloomed for the first time!"

Kiele considered it, then asked,

"Are you really sure? Really, really sure you want me to have your hitaiate?"

Lee nodded happily.

"That hitaiate has memories in it. Memories are fine for me, but that is all they are. I want you to have it, so that my memories can be with you!"

Kiele smiled, then wrapped the leaf headband around her left thigh, her sand around her neck. She thought it was time she gave herself a new style. Lee looked pleased, but Gaara looked insulted. One of his ninja, wearing the headband of another country...

Kankurou noticed Gaara's aggitated expression, then rubbed the back of his head after Lee had bid them goodbye.

"Kiele... I know that you appriciate that bobbed-haired kid's gift... but you are a sand shinobi. You can't openly wear that headband."

"Awww! But I know I'm not a leaf ninja! I just wanted to show Lee-san how much I liked- !"

"I know, I know," Temari input.

"But you can attach it to..."

Temari took of the Konohagakure hitaiate and tied it around her luggage bag. Kiele grinned.

"A suveniour!" She caught on.

Temari smiled, and Gaara walked on past them.

"Come on already. We have to see the Hokage."

Temari and Kankurou nodded in unison, running after Gaara. Kiele followed suit, until she was stopped by a strong hand on her shooulder. It was a boy in a creme colored coat. She glanced at him, taking notice of his pale white eyes. She blinked curiosly, then smiled.

"Hello! Are you someone else that I knew from my last visit?"

He smirked.

"You could say that."

He paused as Kiele watched the sand siblings run on.

"Why? Don't you remember me?"

She blinked again. The white eyed boy frowed. Kiele took it upon herself to explain the best she could.

"Gaara-sama said that I have amnesia. I didn't remember Lee-san, or this Naruto that Gaara said I was affiliated with. So, my sinserest apologies, but I don't recall you, either. What is your name?"

He took in what she was saying, his smirk returning.

_"Interesting. She has amnesia, and it's caused her to go soft in such a short time."_

"Hyuuga Neji."

Kiele smiled.

"Well, nice to meet you again, Hyuuga Neji-kun. How did we meet?"

The corners of Neji's mouth twitched.

"In the Chuunin Exams."

"Yes?"

"You and I were opponents."

"Oh... May... may I ask who won?"

Neji's smile widened.

"You did. But I'm not ashamed of losing to a girl..."

He scratched his head.

"... After all, in the last Chuunin Exams, I lost to Naruto. Niether of us became Chuunin, however."

Kiele's eyes widened.

"You lost to Naruto-san?"

Neji's smile flickered.

_"Naruto- san, huh? This girl sure is strange."_

"Yes, I did. Would you like to see him?"

"Of course!" Kiele chimed, excited.

Her smiled faded when she realized that Kankurou, Temari, and Gaara would be searching for her. She slowly shook her head.

"I have to find Kazekage-sama now, but could you please have Naruto-kun stop by our temporary home sometime before we leave?"

Neji nodded, releasing her shoulder. Kiele bowed, then ran towards the direction in which the Hokage's building could be seen, towering above all the others.

"Gomen nasai, Neji-san!" She called over her shoulder.

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"... And I met up with Neji-san, who volunteered to show me who Naruto-san is!" Kiele chanted.

Gaara crossed his arms.

_"She seems happy to be reunited... with people she doesn't even know in her present state."_

Kankurou stretched, bending his arms above his head, then rose to his feet.

"Well, I'm hitting the sack. Gotta get some shut eye if you expect me to be up and around in the moring to put up with Naruto."

Temari nodded, then stood up as well.

"I'm going to bed as well. You should follow suit soon, Kiele. Don't annoy Gaara too much," She teased with a wink.

Kiele nodded her head slowly. Of course Temari had been joking, and Kiele knew this, but she couldn't help that being alone with Gaara really would annoy him. She stood to her feet, only to be pulled back down by Gaara. Hitting the couch, she tilted her head, confused. Gaara's eye narrowed. He knew he had to say something to her. She cared for him in her old state, and she couldn't help but to now. Kankurou had been right, as much as he hated to admit it. And Gaara had to acknowledge that somehow. It's not like she would judge him. She technically belonged to him. Prisoner of the sand. Prisoner of the Kazekage. Prisoner of Gaara's...

He rose to his feet.

"I'll be on the roof if you need me, Kiele. You go to bed now."

"But, I can't sleep, Gaara-sama, I- "

"Then just go to your room," He replied quickly pulling her to her feet.

The two were inches from one another. Gaara remembered the time Kiele had held his hand in hers. He longed for more of that kind of contact.

Cupping her face in his hand with one hand, he wrapped his other arm around her waist and puller her closer to him, cloing off any space that had previously been between them. Kiele's face tinted red as Gaara gingerly pressed his lips to her forehead. She felt her heart skip a beat as Gaara wrapped his other arm around her, pulling her into an embrace. Inside, this was what she had always wanted...

Before Kiele could say anything, she was released and Gaara was gone. Kiele held a hand to her heart.

Three days ago, she felt that Gaara had hated her.

Now, she felt loved loved. She felt needed. Wanted.

She was Gaara's prisoner.

His Prisoner of the Heart.

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YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSS! I've been wanting to write that for so long, and now I have! Ahahahahahaha! Yes!


	5. Ask and You Shall Receive

_**Ask and You Shall Recieve**_

I haven't updated in so long... Gomen:( But I just got ungrounded on the seventh... Oh well. I'm back now:D

**_Disclaimer:_** Naruto isn't here. Nor will he ever be. I think Kishimoto's babysitting him and the rest of the Naruto cast. Boy, do I ever feel pity for him. Babysitting Sasuke, Orochimaru, Temari, AND Gaara all in the same room?! 0.o That isn't all that great of a combination. He's lucky they only reside in his head.

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It was only four in the morning, and she was already running down the stairs to fix breakfast. She flailed her arms out carelessly to the sides, waving them childishly. She lept down the last eight steps, landing cat-like on the wood flooring. She scrambled to her feet when she saw sand scattered across the floor. Her eyes trailed the path of sand, until they reached a pair of black traditional ninja sandals. She swallowed, and the sand moved of its own free will about the sandals.

"Having fun?"

Kiele gazed sheepishly up at Gaara, wringing her hands behind her back. The red head raises an intrigued eyebrow. Amusement lingered ever so lightly in his nearly invisible smile, unnoticed by Kiele. Her gaze flickered to his face, then to her feet. Kiele's face radiates, recalling the events of the previous night. She backed towards the stairs, then began to inch her way back up the steps. Kiele watched Gaara intently, as if afraid he might suddenly lunge at her and tackle her. She sprints the remaining distance from the hall to her room, shuting the door softly behind her. Gaara bit back a grin.

_"She's so incredibly strange..."_ He muses.

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**(Six a.m.)**

_"I know, Takai-sama."_

**(Then get up.)**

Kiele nodded, to no one in particular but the voice in her head, sitting up. She scratched her head, the stared at her sand hitaiate. Deciding that she had wated enough of her time in bed, she left her room and descended down the stairs.

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Kiele decided to clean the living room. Gaara was no longer anywhere to be seen. Temari came downstairs an hour later and Kankurou emerged from his soon after that. His brunette hair was ruffled from the night's sleep, and he only had one eye open. The other was shut tight, a checkered imprint across his eye and the left side of his face. Kiele pressed her hand to her mouth, desperately trying to supress a laugh. Kankurou glared at the black haired girl. This only made her exploded with laughter. She pointed at his checkered cheek.

"Fall asleep on the floor again, Kankurou-san?" She asked playfully.

The rooms had tatami mats in them, so that would explain Kankurou's new face design. Kankurou frowned playfully at Kiele. He threw a plate like a frisbee across the room. Kiele plopped on the floor just in time to avoid a beheading. Temari scowled. She smacked the back of her younger brother's head.

"Don't throw dinnerware in the house, baka," She scolded.

"Don't throw dinnerware in the house, baka," Kankurou mimiced in a high pitched voice, earning him another smacking.

He growled at Temari, rubbing the back of his head.

"Witch..." He grumbled underneath his breath after Temari was out of earshot.

The front door opened, then closed. Kankurou and Kiele's heads turned to see the red head enter the house. Kiele's face tinted red and pink as she scrambled into the kitchen. Kankurou frowned at him. He hadn't yet approved of Gaara's methods of trying to prevent Kiele regaining her former memory.

"Kankurou," Gaara greeted.

Kankurou's face was wiped of alll emotion.

"Gaara," He scoffed.

He crossed his arms across his chest stubbornly, then flopped down onto the table cushion. Gaara decided not to fool around with his older brother right now, and instead walked over and stood in the doorway of the kitchen. A pan dropped, followed by the clink of a metal spatula on tile. Kiele regained her bearings, then picked up her dropped kitchen utensils. She inched further into the kitchen, as if trying to shy away from the red headed Kazekage. The previous night's events had shaken her, and left her extremely confused. Just wehn she thought that she had the beholder of Shukaku completely figured out...

"Do you have any idea when Naruto will stop by?" Gaara asked.

Kiele shook her head feverently.

"No, Gaara-sama..."

"Neji never told you?"

"He just said he'd tell Naruto to look for us..."

"Hmm. I see."

He remained in the doorway a moment longer, before he left.

Just because he wasn't in his office didn't meant that he didn't have work to do.

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Kiele sat perched atop the Konoha roof of her temporary home. She let the night breeze dance with her hair as she gazed longingly at the plants of the Village Hidden Amoung the Leaves. This breeze was different from that of the desert breeze, and she'd never seen such beautiful plants before... She'd never seen **any** plants before. Not that she could recall, anyways.

Naruto hadn't visited that day. It left her a bit disapointed, and let-down to say the least.

**(There's still the rest of the week to anticipate Uzumaki Naruto's arrival,)** Takai reminded her.

_"I know... but I don't like to wait. I want to meet Uzumaki Naruto... again. I've heard so many things about him..."_

**(Heh... You've never liked waiting, child. There's only one thing you ever waited for.)**

_"Really?! What's that, Takai-sama?"_

**(... Gaara.)**

_"Gaara-sama? What did I wait for him on?"_

**(For him to return to the sweet boy he was as a young child.)**

_"Has my waiting paid off yet?"_

Takai considered last night's events. Gaara's kiss. Then she weighed the many time he had hurt her, even when she hadn't done a thing to him. Even in her innocent state now...

**(... It's hard to tell whether or not it has.)**

_"Oh..."_

"What are you doing still up?"

Kiele froze in mid thought. She dared not turn around and look into those eyes again. _His_ eyes. The only pair of orbs that she couldn't read.

"C-can't sleep..."

**(Ha!! Lovely excuse, I must say!)**

Gaara arched an eyebrow.

"You could never sleep."

"Oh... well, I meant that, that I-"

"Don't bother."

Gaara rolled his eyes, sitting down next to Kiele.

Kiele cringed.

_"Why did Kazekage-sama have to come out here?!"_

**(Baka... dear... You know that the roof in his spot. Especially on nights of full moons. You're the one invading his area.)**

She had a point. Kiele glanced up, and, sure enough, there was a full moon. Kiele frowned.

Several questions pounded against her skull, but she restrained herself. She remembered her promise to Gaara about asking too many annoying questions, and she was going to abide by that.

...At least, she'd try her hardest to.

"You've been avoiding me all day."

Kiele blushed, turning away from the Kazekage.

"A- a little..." She murmured under her breath.

Gaara heard.

"Why?"

Kiele's face grew redder.

"W- well... I, I'm kinda... confused..."

"Why?" Gaara persisted.

"Because..."

She pondered how to put her thoughts into words. The ghost of a smile graced her lips. She would use one of Temari's phrases on him. She turned to face Gaara.

"Because you're difficult. It's hard to communicate with you when you're a closed book."

Gaara chuckled.

" 'A closed book', huh?" He snickered.

Kiele blinked. This was a joke she didn't get.

"Can you even read books?"

Kiele turned her head away from Gaara again, her face red once more.

"N- no..."

"Then don't use Temari's phrases if you don't even know what they mean."

Kiele grimaced.

_"But it _is _hard to talk to him..."_

**(Yes. But I'm sure you'll find a way around that.)**

_"I doubt that..."_

"I'll leave you alone, Kazekage-sama-"

"No, you won't."

Kiele had stood up, only to be pulled back down again by her wrists. She pouted.

He acted like he hated her company, when he really **wanted** her company.

He acted like he hated her company, and he really **did** want her to leave.

Either way, Kiele couldn't figure him out.

"If you want me to stay, then stop being such a closed book," She pouted.

Gaara would have snickered if he hadn't seen the meaning she had behind the words first.

_"Open up to her..."_

But since when had he ever opened up to **anyone**?

"I can't just randomly talk to you."

"Then don't speak randomly. Speak senseful."

"I can't- "

"Then what's the point of me staying here?"

She stood up again, but Gaara grabbed ahold of her wrist again. Her jerked her back down again.

"Stay."

"Why?"

She covered her mouth with her free hand.

_"I asked a stupid question!"_

While she reprimand herself for asking Gaara questions, the red head thought of the answer.

_"**Why**?"_

_"... Because I'm Kazekage, that's why! I don't need a reason!"_

Gaara released her hand, and inhaled deeply.

"Because I want you to stay here."

Kiele's head perked up.

"But, you didn't want me around before- "

"Well, I've just happened to change my mind about you."

"Oh... umm... Okay?"

It was more of a question than a statement.

She was confused... again. And Gaara wasn't much better off. He didn't know his own emotions towards her. He closed his eyes, and all was silent. The breeze picked up, and the colors of black and red hair were tossed together. Kiele knew her own feeling for the red head beside her. She was in _love_ with him. She was just afraid that he didn't love her. In fact, she was almost positive that he didn't love her. That he didn't even _care_ for her. He had never really paid much attention to her... but what he does one moment and what he does the next had never really matched up anyways.

Finally, curiosity won her over and she blurted,

"Gaara-sama, why did you kiss me?"

Gaara's eyes sprang open. He gazed over to meet curious green orbs. They begged him for an honest answer, they pleaded him...

"My need for human contact," He concluded.

Kiele tilted her head, obviously perplexed. So Gaara went on.

"One can be the strongest to walk the earth, but there are those things that they cannot defeat. Lonliness is one of those things."

Gaara sighed.

"I realized that. I don't like it, but now I know that. To be cared for, my existance known of by another... These are the things that I lack, and that's why I..."

_"...That's why I killed."_

"...To feel that I was alive, I..."

_"I made other existances miserable, and I murdered."_

"... I did things that I regret now. But I needed to feel the touch of another human being. And I need it now."

Kiele smiled, then leaned her head on the red head's shoulders.

"Ask, and you shall recieve. You should have just asked me in the first place, Gaara-sama."

_"Ask... And you shall recieve..."_

He couldn't put his finger on the reason why, but everytime she touched him since she had lost her memory, it drove him over the edge. He closed his eyes, then wrapped his arms around Kiele's waist, pulling her closer to him.

_"I..."_

Kiele snuggled against Gaara, wrapping her own arms around his chest.

_"I want..."_

She listened to his breathing, and the slightly rapid beating of his heart.

_"I want more of this kind of contact with her."_

Gaara could help himself.

He had to admit...

He belonged to her.

Her Prisoner of the Heart.

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Now, was the ending great, or was it great? Huh? HUH? Yeah, I know it is! Also, check the ending of the last chapter in case you don't remember what the last sentence was. Read last chapter of my last update, then read the last sentence of this chapter. NOTICE SOMETHING, HMMM?? 0.0 Yeah yeah, I'll bet it's making you all fluffy inside right about now!! KAWAII:D


	6. Deception and Deidara

_**Title of Chapter**_

Well, this one didn't take two weeks to get out, aren't you just so thrilled:D Well, probably not, but, you know... yeah... just read the story. And review. Or don't. Whatever floats yer boat. But I hope you do.

**_Disclaimer_**: I hate to disapoint those who think I own Naruto, but I don't Naruto. Sorra.

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**(I must ask.)**

_"Ask what, Takai-sama?"_

**(Why you insist on training on skills your subconsious already has.)**

_"I may have them, but I don't remember them."_

**(You remember Suna Futoiude. )**

_"Yes, but... I want to remember everything. I don't want to be a burden to Gaara-sama and his siblings."_

**(The sand siblings care about your wellbeing, Kiele. And so does Naruto, Lee, and Neji. They will protect you with thier lives.)**

Kiele frowned as she angrily kicked a stray bottle across the yard.

_"But that's why I need to train! I won't bring them down and have them risk thier lives just for me! I'm not of so much signifigance for them to- "_

"Kiele!!"

Kiele froze. She turned around to see a blonde haired, blue-eyed boy clad in black and orange running towards her. He halted in front of her, wearing a grin.

"Lee and Neji told me that you were here! I can't believe that you and Gaara came back! You still have my fan? How do you like it here? Has Konohagakure changed since you left? Is there ramen in Sungakure? Wanna go out for some ramen? Of course that's only if you're not busy- "

"Naruto! Give it a rest!"

Kankurou exited the hotel, repremending Naruto.

"Didn't anyone tell you that she lost her memory?"

The blonde's face fell, while Kiele's was brightened.

"Oh! So you are the Naruto-san that I've heard so much about?"

Naruto pouted. His bottom lip puffed out as he crossed his arms.

"You mean to tell me that you don't even remember me? Not at all?"

Kiele suddenly felt guilty.

"No, I'm sorry. I don't."

Kankurou laughed at Naruto's childish expression. He turned and headed down the road, waving his hand behind him.

"Well, just because I'm not home unfortunately doesn't mean I'm excused from work. I'm off to the Hokage's building. If you need anything, Kiele, just go there. Gaara, Temari and I will be there."

"Yes, Kankurou-niisan!" Kiele called, waving after him.

She turned, flashing a charming smile at Naruto. He blushed, then folded his hands behind his head. He laughed cheesily. Kiele folded her hands in front of her skirt.

"So, what would you like to do today, Naruto-kun?"

"Let's eat ramen!!!"

"Umm... ramen? What is that?"

"Only the greatest thing in the world! Boy, do you ever have some catching up to do! Follow me!"

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"Naruto! Naruto-san, please! Put me down!"

Naruto cackled in the manner of that of a madman as he ran through the streets of Konoha. Upon his shoulders was perched a certain young konoichi. Gaara watched from the Hokage's window, his eyes narrowed. Kankurou took once glance at his little brother's face, and laughed. Gaara glared daggers at him.

"And what is so funny?" He spat.

Kankurou was unphased by his brother's hateful diposition. He slapped him on the back, then stiffled back his laughter.

"Gettin' a little jealous, ne?" He teased, prodding the young Kazekage in the side his his index finger.

Gaara jerked irritably away from his older brother, turning his back on the window.

"There's nothing to get jealous about."

Kankurou snickered.

"Yeah, right. That little feeling you have in the pit of your stomache? It's making you feel like you want to jump out of the window and lay Naruto out cold? That's a little thing called "jealousy", Gaara."

"I'm not jealous," Gaara scoffed.

"Yeah, right!" Kankurou persisted.

"I saw you two up on the roof cradling her in your arms the other night."

Gaara sighed, annoyed. Kankurou walked around to the other side of the red head.

"And then every night since, you kiss her on her forehead before you two up to the roof to do god knows what, but I might be able to think of a couple things- "

Temari raised an eyebrow, curious. Gaara decided to stop him before Kankurou stated anything particularly embarrassing or perverted.

"How would you know that anyways?" Gaara demanded.

He pointed an accusing finger at Kankurou.

"You were supposed to be sleeping."

Kankurou grinned mischeviously. He flicked Gaara's finger.

"I was supposed to be. But I wasn't."

Gaara rolled his eyes, turning back to the window. Naruto still had her on his shoulders, and he was spinning around in circles, until he eventually fell over, holding his head. He caught Kiele in his arms, then help her to her feet as they ran, hand in hand, towards to hospital. Kankurou's words did in fact had some truth in them. Gaara felt a foreign emotion boiling within the bowels of his stomache. He did want to hit Naruto for ever touching Kiele.

"In a year or so," Kankurou went on,

"We can be expecting Gaara to be whipped."

Temari pressed a hand to her mouth, stiffling her laughter. Kankurou chuckled a bit, before he went on.

"Yeah. I can see it now..."

He took on a high pitched voice, and mocked Kiele.

_"Gaara, please get me a juice from the fridge."_

_"We're all out."_

_"Well, could you go to the market and get me one?"_

_"Of course, my love."_

_"And birth control pills?"_

_"Yes, of- "_

"Kankurou!" Gaara snapped, whirling around to face his older brother.

He glowered at him dangerously. Temari wasn't laughing anymore, and Kankurou was trying with every ounce of his being to keep a straight face under the red head's death glare.

"If you so much as mention Kiele and I again, I'll..."

His voice trailed off. Kankurou waited.

"...I'll burry you in the desert when we get back home. Then the scavengers can have your remains."

Kankurou nodded. The door opened, and Tsunade came in, followed by Lee, with the aide of his crutches. He grinned.

"You sure have softened considerably, Gaara-sama," He joked.

"The Gaara I recall from the Chuunin Exam would make a threat no less than death to someone who brought up the possible pairing of you and Kiele."

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"Two miso ramen, please!"

"Aha ha ha! Both for you, Naruto?"

Naruto shook his head.

"Nope! One's for my friend, Kiele! She's never had ramen before! ... Well, I mean, she's had ramen before, but she just can't remember that she's had it before- "

The owner of the ramen shop was beyond lost. He held up his hands.

"That sound nice, Naruto. Now, you better hurry along before your friend has to eat cold ramen."

"Oh, right!"

Naruto grabbed the bag containing the ramen and ran off towards his house. He had told Kiele to wait there for him while he brought back ramen. Suddenly, something caught him by the back of his neck. It picked him up off the ground, while Naruto wildly swung the ramn bag about his head.

"Hey! What's the big deal?! Let me go- !"

"Sleep, nine tails."

Naruto's struggling ceased as the figure stuck him in the back of his head. Naruto slumped in the person's grasp, the ramen bag falling to the earth with a dull thud.

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Kiele shivered, and she rubbed her forearms. She gazed up at the full moon, then back down the street. It was completely deserted. Gazing at her feet, she wondered if she should go look for her blonde companion, or go to Gaara. But he would just reprimand her for intruding on such an important meeting. She sighed and stood, when Takai spoke solemnly.

**(Something isn't right.)**

Kiele froze.

_"What isn't?"_

**(The air is thick with the scent of blood.)**

Kiele nodded.

_"Should... should I head back to the hotel?"_

**(...No. Who knows what's there.)**

_"But I can't just stay here!"_

**(Fine. Go to Gaara. He wil protect you.)**

Kiele nodded. She walked at first, until there was an explosion. Gasping, she turned and saw the hotel that her and the sand siblings had been staying at go up in flames. She turned and took off at a run.

_"Takai-sama! Where is the Hokage's building?"_

**(Keep going straight. Take a right up ahead at the fork in the road.)**

As Kiele approached the fork Takai had spoken of, a blade sliced through the air. She whimpered as the kunai tore through cloth and flesh as she was pinned to the ground. Jerking the kunai from the earth, she stood to her feet and spun around wildly, looking for the source of the blade. Dead silence. She could hear her heart thundering in her ears.

_"Takai-sama! If this is a ninja... I can't take him! I'm not ready!"_

**(Just get to Gaara! You'll be fine when you get to him.)**

Kiele nodded, the ran to the right.

**(Right there, do you see that building in the distance? The tallest one? That's the building of the Hokage.)**

Kiele squinted trying to locate the structure in the dark. Spotting it, she took off at a sprint. To her shock, a black mass landed in front of her, and she stumbled backwards. Unsheathing a kunai, she lunged at the ninja. The shinobi caught her arm, twisting it behind her back. Out of any options and out of time, she did the only thing she could think of. She screamed. The figure quickly covered her mouth with a black gloved hand.

"Kiele! Kiele, listen, it's me!"

Kiele's screaming ceased, and he let go of her arm. She turned to face him.

"Kankurou-niisan!"

She flung her arms around his shoulders, holding him tightly.

"Kankurou-niisan! First, Naruto-san didn't return! Then, I was attacked by a ninja! I think Konohagakure is under ambush!"

Kankurou nodded. Kiele noticed his head piece missing.

"I already know. Gaara sent me to make sure you were alright."

Kiele's heart still raced. She should have felt safe, in the arms of her brotherly figure, but she felt anything but. Kankurou grabbed her waist, throwing her over his shoulder. He lept onto the roof of a nearby building. He held onto her tightly.

"I can walk on my own, Kankuoru-niisan," Kiele reminded him.

The only response she got was a tighter grasp on her waist.

"Kankurou, you're hurting me!"

"Kiele! Stop complaining!" Kankurou spat.

Kiele ignored him and pounded on his back. She flailed her legs madly, kicking him in the chest.

"Put me down, Kankurou!"

"Shut up, damn it! Just shut the hell up!"

Kiele looked up and her eyes widened. She saw the Hokage building getting farther and farther away. Kankurou wasn't taking her to Gaara. He was taking her **away** from him.

"Kankurou, why- "

Kankurou dropped Kiele on the roof. He reached down, picking her up by her throat no sooner than she had hit the ground. She clawed at Kankurou's grasp, and in response, he tightened his hold on her throat.

"Listen. Stop asking so many questions, okay? I'm tense right now. Gaara's at the hotel right now, and so is Temari. They're both waiting for me to bring you back, alright?"

His grasp on her throat tightened evn more, and a soft whimper escaped her lips.

"So you just be a good girl, and let me take you to Gaara in peace!"

Then it hit her.

"**Liar**!!" Kiele tried to screamed.

All that came out was a hoarse cough.

"Glad we have an agreement," "Kankurou" replied, tossing her back over his shoulder.

"You're lying!" Kiele coughed, her throat sore.

Kankurou stopped, and Kiele shoved him away as she thrust herself off of his shoulder.

"Gaara-sama and Temari-o-neesan couldn't be at the hotel! It just exploded, I saw it! And Kankurou-niisan would never try to hurt me! You're **not** Kankurou!"

The black clad ninja shrugged.

"Oh well. I tried. I suppose that is the best I can hope for. If I can't take you with coaxing, then..."

Kankurou clasped his hands together and dissipated in a puff of smoke. When the smoke cleared, a ninja bearing the Iwagakure hitaiate stood in his place. There was a scratch across the boulder.

_"A rouge ninja..."_

He smirked up at Kiele. He had blonde hair, cyan eyes, and wore a cloak of black with red clouds on it.

"...I guess I'll have to take you by force."

"Tell me who you really are!" Kiele demanded

"Gladly," He replied.

"Deidara, at your service!"

He reached for her arm, only to have it jerked away. He glared down at the girl, towering above her. He smirked again, taunting her by waving his finger back and forth.

"I know your weak point, girly. You contracted amnesia. Can't remember a thing, can you? Good for me, though."

He snatched Kiele, tucking her under his arm. He croutched, readig himself to jump, when a wave of sand knocked him off his feet. He crashed to the roof violently, shattering the tile beneath him. Kiele tumbled from his arms. Temari ran up to Kiele, sitting her upright. The sand had scathed her left arm. She scowled as the red head walked past her, fists clentched.

"Gaara! You have to watch out! You injurerd Kiele!"

Kiele shook her head.

"I'm fine, I just- "

"Bastard!" Kankurou shouted.

He slammed the Crow onto the roof, jerking back on its bandaging.

"Teach you to use me to get to her!"

"Kankurou!" Gaara ordered.

Kankurou froze, gazing over at his younger brother.

"Stay back. I want him."

Kankurou smirked. He glanced over at Kiele.

"He's in for it now," He commented.

Gaara's fists clentched and unclentched angrily. The blonde grinned sheepishly, then waved.

"Sorry, Kazekage. I'd like to stay and play with you, but I'm not about to take you and your siblings on by myself. That's scuicide! So, I'll catch you later, yeah?"

"You're not going anymore!" Gaara hissed.

His sand shot out, lashing at Diedara's black cloak. He jumped out and out of view.

Kankurou stared out at where the blonde had been when he disapeared, then sighed, shaking his head. He began wrapping the Crow back up. Temari cautiously walked next to Gaara, coaxing him, trying to get him to go back to the Hokage's building. He didn't reply, just jerked away from her and moved to the edge of the roof.

"Kiele... did you happen to get his name?"

Kiele nodded.

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Gaara sat at the Hokage's desk in the dark. He glared out at the moon angrily, as if it was its fault that he had almost lost Kiele.

_"Deidara, huh?"_

He twirled the fabric of his attire between his fingers.

_"He's on my first to die list."_

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Dun dun, dundun! Gaara's angry now! I wonder why Akatsuki wants Kiele?... Actually, I don't wonder, because I know, but you wonder! .


	7. Memories and Secret Ambitions Fulfilled

_**Memoeries and Secret Ambitions Fulfilled**_

YAY!!! I'm sooo hyper and really happy right now, I have been ever since October 16th! Why, you ask? 'Cause I got back together with meh boyfriend! How, you ask? I have no clue! Yeah! But I'm really happy all the same! XD

**_Disclaimer:_** I don't own Naruto, peeps. I do own JP, my boyfriend, however... :D

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"Gaara-sama!"

Gaara sighed, putting his pencil down on the table. Running a throbbing hand through his flaming hair, he leaned back in his chair. Kiele catapulted over The Crow lying in front of the steps, that Kankurou had carelessly discarded of for the moment, and landed on the tatami mat. Standing up, she ran to her Kazekage's side. She propped her elbows up on the back of the chair. Gaara looked up aggravated, at her.

"Now isn't the time, Kiele," He stated bluntly.

His hand still rested in his blood red tresses as he glared up at Kiele with narrowed teal eyes. Her smile faded at his cold expression. The corners of her mouth twitched as she bowed her head, her bangs covering her eyes.

"Kankurou-niisan wants you, Kazekage-sama..."

Gaara growled.

"Shit... Can't I have any time to catch up on my damn work?" He swore.

Kiele stared up at the Kazekage, appalled at the usage of his colorful language. Gaara, however, was clueless.

"What?" He demanded.

Kiele blinked just once, then continued to stare.

"Such vulgar sounding words... Why do you and Kankurou-niisan use those words all of the time?"

"What are you going on about?" Gaara snapped.

He swung his leg over the side of the chair, standing upright. He walked up the stairs, Kiele still standing at the chair.

"You and Kankurou-niisan always say such weird words. And I don't even understand them. Is there even such a thing as a damn? What does damn, shit, ass, and fu -?"

"Watch your tounge," Gaara spat, inturrupting her,

"Before I have it removed."

Kiele froze, then tilted her head. She resembled a confused puppy dog.

"But you and Kankurou can say it," She insisted.

"It doesn't matter. I'd better not hear it come out of your mouth again."

Kiele blinked again at his back, before Gaara stepped over the Crow, disapearing in Kankurou's room.

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"What did you want?"

Gaara scowled at the condition of the room. Scrolls bearing, symbols, diagrams, and Kankurou's sloppy hand writing lay sprawled across the tatami floor. The pupeeter wasn't wearing his usual headpiece; he wasn't even dressed yet. Kankurou glanced up, then grinned wearily at the sight of his brother. It looked as if he hadn't slept at all the previous night.

"I want your honest opinon," Kankurou announced.

He held up a metal contraption of some sort in which Gaara had no idea as to what it could be.

"What do you think?" He asked.

"Is it too much?"

Gaara pulled a chair up, kicking aside stray parchment. He sat down, turning the chair around backwards, resting his chin on the back of the chair.

"What in the world **is** it?" Gaara inquired.

"Can't you tell?" Kankurou demanded.

He shook the contraption a bit. It made a rattling noise, like there were beads or something inside of the metalic structure.

"It's a suit of armour."

Gaara nearly laughed. He would have, if he hadn't been so irritated. He shook his head, sighing heavily.

"That is **not** a suit of armour."

"Yes it is," Kankurou argued.

Gaara glanced the metal glob up and down.

"No, it's not."

"No, really Gaara."

"Really."

"I'm telling you Gaara, this is armour. Just admit it."

"Didn't you want my honest opinion?"

Kankurou sneered, then slammed the metal structure back onto the desk. Picking up a tool, he began his work again. Gaara stood up, then walked next to his elder brother. His eyes scanned the metal gizmo over again.

"Who is it a suit of armour for?"

Kankurou paused. He placed his tool down, then closed his eyes.

"Karasu."

Gaara flinched, taken aback.

"Karasu?" Gaara repeated.

"But why does the Crow need armour?"

Kankurou hesitated, then reopened his eyes. He resumed his work on the appliance.

"Just improvements. I want to improve the Crow."

Gaara's eyes narrowed.

"You were never concerned before. Why does the Crow suddenly need improvement?"

Kankurou yawned, then waved the tool towards the door.

"Ask Temari. I ain't tellin' ya."

"But I'm asking you."

"Temari'd be happy to tell you, Gaara. I'm busy."

Gaara was impatient now. He clentched his fists.

"Is there anything I don't know about."

"I told you to ask Temari."

Gaara exited the room, then knocked on Temari's. Sure enough, she, too, answered the door with black circles beneath her eyes, just like her Crow-Customizing brother. She covered her mouth as she heaved a huge yawn, blinked to clear her watery eyes, then smiled dully.

"Tired," She explained, opening the door wider so that Gaara could come in.

Gaara took notice that Temari had scrolls spread across her bed sheets. He read the headings to himself.

_"Akatsuki sightings... more than usual.. dangerous, criminal organization.. possible intrests in demon quarters..."_

_"Demon quarters?"_ Gaara pondered.

_"Are these Akatsuki interested in the beholders of demons?"_

Temari rolled the parchment up right from Gaara face. She gave an apologetic smile as she tied the scrolls up, stashing them in her dresser drawer.

"Tell me what it is that you and Kankurou are hiding from me," Gaara demanded.

Temari fidgeted.

"This Akatsuki. Them being interested in demons. Kankurou customizing Karasu."

He paused, then glared at her.

"Are you afraid they'll target us?"

Temari bit her bottom lip.

"Gaara... They already have."

"What?"

Gaara sat on Temari's bed. She pressed a finger to her lips.

"Remember that Deidara that was after Kiele yesterday?" Temari whispered.

Gaara's cold eyes became even harder.

_"Do I ever..."_

"Yes. What about him?"

"Well, he's from the Akatsuki. I... I've discovered that it's a criminal organization consisting of rogue ninja from various villages. The ddin't come after you, perhaps because they know they're out of thier league with you... But, it seems that they want Kiele... for _her_ demon."

Gaara balled his hands into fists.

"She's helpless right now in her current state, a sorry ninja. She can't fight, and they now know that we have every intention of killing them if they try to take her again. They'll try to get her alone, then it'd be easy to abduct- "

Temari froze. Her solemn expression turned hurt.

"Naruto..."

Gaara realized what his sister was talking about.

"Naruto is strong," Gaara reassured her.

He opened the door, resting his hands on the doorframe.

"Naruto is fine. But Kiele isn't. Don't let her out of your sight."

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"Kiele."

Kiele froze, the doorknob in her grasp. She turned, and saw the red haired Kazekage. She bowed her head, avoiding her eyes.

"Y-yes, Kazekage-sama?"

"Where are you going."

It was more of an order than a question.

"Naruto-san never came back last night... I was wondering where he was, so I- "

"Fine."

He strapped his gourd across his chest. Kiele tilted her head.

"Let's go."

Kiele blinked.

"Where are you going Gaara-sama?"

"Accompanying you."

Kiele shook her head.

"I don't need a tour guide anymore, Kazekage-sama. I know the streets pretty well now- "

"You heard me," Gaara snapped.

And that was the end of that conversation. He opened the door, and followed Kiele out.

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"Gaara-sama... do you think Naruto-san is alright?"

Gaara sighed.

"I'm sure he's fine."

"Oh... well, where do you think he might be?"

"He might be with his sensei."

"Jiriaya-sensei?"

"Yeah. Whatever his name is."

"Oi! Kiele!"

Kiele stopped walking, as did Gaara. Both turned to the source of the voice.

"Oh! Lee-san!" Kiele greeted.

She moved to run towards the genin, but Gaara held his hand out in front of her, blocking her.

Lee limped over to her without the aid of his crutches. He flashed her a geniune smile.

"I have just under-went surgery," He explained.

"What do you think? Am I doing better?"

"Wonderfully, Lee-san!"

Kiele clasped her hands together.

"I have a question for you, Lee-san!"

Lee's smile widened.

"What is it, Kiele-chan?"

"Have you seen Naruto-san anywhere?"

Lee nodded.

"He and Jiraiya-sensei are pestering Tsunade-sama."

Kiele let out a sigh of relief. Lee laughed.

"Why? Did you think something had become of him?"

She nodded.

"Oh, very much so, Lee-san!"

Kiele smiled up at Lee, who returned her kind smile. She then turned, looking up at the Kazekage with wide, satisfied green orbs. However, unlike Lee, Gaara didn't return the smile. Her grin faded, and she stared down at her feet.

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_"Takai-san... are all boys as confusing as Gaara-sama?"_

The demon's hollow laughter resounded throughout Kiele's brain.

**(I don't know. Human emotions aren't my specialty.)**

_"Oh, okay..."_

She sighed, pulling her knees to her chest.

_"One night, he's embracing me and kissing my forehead. The next, he acts like he's mad at me. And he always treats me like I've done something wrong... Have I done something wrong, Takai-san?"_

**( (...sigh...) Your present self hasn't. But you're naive and ignorant. You'd understand all too well if you were your normal self again.)**

_"If... if I was my normal self again... Would Gaara-sama still be so furious with me?"_

**(Tch. He's only angry right now. He'd probably be fuming if you were yourself again.)**

Kiele felt her heart sink into the depths of her stomache.

_"So... No matter what? Gaara-sama will always hate me?"_

**(Do you want him to love you?)**

_"Well, I- I don't want to be hated..."_

"Oi, Kiele. I think that there's something you want to know."

Kiele turned to see Kankurou. With his headpiece missing, his hair blew gently in the wind. She smile up at him.

"Kankurou-niisan. What is it?"

Kankurou scratched the back of his head.

"You see... that's just the attitude I'm gonna miss. I think Temari and Gaara will, too."

Kiele tilted her head. Kankurou shook his head dismissively, then joined Kiele at the edge of the roof. His legs dangled off of the side.

"You always greet us in the morning, and when we go to sleep at night. You hate to see Gaara upset, and you're so selfless. It's beyond human nature for smeone your age. You just seem to act as if you're only five... again. You're the only one that can talk to Gaara, and you're the only one I've ever seen that he will kiss."

Kiele's face redened. Kankurou closed his eyes.

"...And I'm going to miss that."

"Kankurou, what do you- ?"

"But, I'm sure that you'll still be able to talk to Gaara. What provokes me to do this is, that I'm afraid Akatsuki will get ahold of you. And there won't be a thing any of us can do about it."

Kiele remained silent, though she wondered what Kankurou was going on about.

_"...Akatsuki...?"_

"...Kiele. I've talked to Tsunade of the Leaves, and she gave me a remedy. Gaara discarded the other remedy, so... this just might work. Just promise me that you won't change when you go back to the way you were. ...Well, I mean, I know you'll change, just promise me that you won't change much."

Kankurou handed her a bottle with a greenish-clear liquid in it. Kiele blinked at it.

"... I'll miss you so much. I really will. Just remember that Gaara will, too."

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Kiele gazed at Kankurou the next morning, rubbing her eyes. He was dead to the world. Kiele laughed inwardly.

"Baka... There's such a thing as a bed, you know."

Her only response was a snort. Kiele half-grinned. She still had the memories of the sand siblings while she was "away". One that seemed to stay ever so vividly was the first time Gaara had kissed her forehead. She scrunched her nose at the thought, but smiled at the thought of affection...

From _Sabaku No Gaara._

She went to the edge of the roof, prepared to leave the puppeteer behind in his sleep. She rolled her eyes as she scooped the ninja in her arms.

_"Ive gotten _sooo_ soft..."_

**(Ha ha ha... Indeed, you have.)**

_"Ha ha ha... Shut up."_

Kiele laid the ninja on his bed. She then decided to pay the red head a visit.

As she peeked at the crack through his door, she saw him gazing out the window.

_"I can see that I'm not the only one who's softened over time..."_

She smiled, before entering his room. Gaara glared over at her upon her entrance.

"Kiele... I made it clear to you that you weren't to enter my room. Ever."

Kiele nodded, before daring to step further into his room. She sat beside him on the windowsill. Gaara stared, shcoked by the girl's defiance.

"I know. You told me that when we were eight. But, I figured since you're Kazekage and all now, you'd treasure your Suna citizens a little more now."

Gaara cringed when Kiele laid her head on Gaara's knee.

"So... I see Kankurou wasted no time in giving you Hoakge's remedy."

Kiele nodded. She gazed at him, never taking her head off of Gaara's knee. Gaara would have pecked her on the forehead, had it not been **this** Kiele. But he wouldn't make himself look weak in front of her.

_**"Gaara... please... you have to wake up!"**_

_**"Die!!" He hissed.**_

_**"If he wishes for you to stay away from him... then aknowledge that, Naruto..."**_

_**"I won't allow you... to hurt my important person."**_

_**"And I won't allow him to hurt mine!" Naruto yelled angrily.**_

_**"If he does... then I'll stop him, even if I have to kill him!!"**_

_**"And I will kill you, Naruto, with my last breath, if this is want you're trying to say."**_

_**"Good-bye, Kankurou-nii-san.. Temari-oneesan... Gaara-tomodachi..."**_

Gaara blinked several times, clearing the memories out of his head. Kiele gazed at him sadly, as if reading his mind. She lifted her head, shaking it.

"Don't live in the past, Gaara. The past is dead and gone. There are many people who care about you now. People of the Suna Council- "

"None of them matter," Gaara snapped.

"None of them cared about me until after I was Kazekage. No one did."

"Hmph. I find that quite offensive, Gaara... _sama_."

Gaara glared at her.

"Are you mocking my title?"

Kiele gigled.

"Not at all. I respect your position. After all, I'm your for keeps now, right?"

She lifted up her wristband. Prisoner of the Sand. Gaara turned his attention to the sunrise again.

"Yes, you are."

Kiele grinned slyly.

"So... what would you like me to do as my first **formal** task to the Kazekage? Make your breakfast? Sign paperwork? Fold your underwear?"

"Don't go anywhere near my underwear drawer," Gaara snapped.

Kiele was laughing, and the corners of Gaara's mouth twitched.

_"She... isn't as... bad... as what I'd thought she would be..."_

Kiele poked Gaara cheek.

"C'mon, Kazekage-sama. You know you wanna laugh. Just do it."

Gaara didn't reply. Kiele pouted.

"I'll do anything! Leave you alone for an entire **week**, just one little smile, that's all I ever wanted out of you!"

Gaara grinned. Kiele stood up, clasping her hands together.

"Now, see? That wasn't so hard was it?"

Kiele made her way to the door. Gaara grasped ahold of her wrist, pulling her to him once more. She blushed, as thier faces were mere inches from one another.

"You're not going anywhere," Gaara whispered.

"You're my prisoner, remember?"

Kiele smiled, and her blush increased. Gradually, Gaara leaned forward, the space between them beacame nonexistant as what they had both secretly wanted all along was fulfilled.

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Yeah, yeah, I know. I'm getting into the fluff here. Lemme alone while I write this. Last season was the time for hatred, angst, and one-sided love. No more! Muwahaha!


	8. Truth's Unfold and Allies' Loyalties

_**Truths Unfold and Allies' Loyalties**_

GOMEN NASAI!!!! GOMEN, GOMEN, GOMEN, GOMEN:( I so sorry!!! I haven't updated in over three weeks, and I'm soooo sorry! I wanted to, but I couldn't. Have you people ever moved before? Have you ever moved out of state? On an eight or more hour trip? Then you know the pain that I've endured the past few weeks. First, when we moved, the house wasn't finished. So, I was banned to a house that belonged to a technology-challenged old person with no computer. For five days. FIVE. Then, when the house finally was finished, no one wants to hook the comp up for me. So, two weeks later, daddy is FINALLY curtious enough to hook it up for me. Then, up until now, there's been no internet. I am so, so sorry, and I really would have updated sooner! This goes for all of my series!!! This really was beyond my control, though, and I sincerely apologize for the ninth time:(

**_Disclaimer:_** I don't own Naruto. Never have, and 1 out of 99,999,999 bazillion chances and a hundred dollar bill that I wish I had says I never will. Okay? M'kay. Now, read your long awaited update that I hope you've anticipated and that I am very, very sorry for not being able to post sooner!

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Kiele's eyes sprang open. She gazed rapidly around her. No one stood there. Blinking, she cleared her head.

_"Takai-san... Aren't dreams only when you sleep? But, I don't sleep. So, what was...?"_

**(No, niave one. Dreams don't just occur in ones slumber. It can also be a daydream, or a reverie.)**

Kiele blinked, perplexed.

_"But then, what was...?"_

"Oi, Kiele. I think that there's something you want to know."

Kiele's head perked up.

_"This is just how my dream began!!"_

"Hai, Kankurou-niisan! I know! You want to give me the remedy from Tsunade-sama that wil restore my-!"

"Woah, woah, hold on there, kiddo. What are you talking about?"

Gaara stepped out from behind his older brother. Kiele bit her bottom lip.

Did she **really** know what she was talking about?

"I... I had a dream... well, sort of. I wasn't asleep. More of a... reversie?"

Both Sunagakure shinobi's brows furrowed in confusion.

**(It's called a "reverie", child.)**

"A reverie," Kiele quickly corrected herself.

Kankurou waved her off.

"All yours, Gaara."

Kankurou left. Gaara stood beside of Kiele.

"Tell me about this dream first."

Kiele nodded.

"Well, I kinda saw Kankurou-niisan... he had a vial. It was a remedy that Hokage Tsunade had made to restore my memory. He told me about Akatsuki, then he gave me the remedy, and then I starting acting really weird. I called him a baka, and... I knew that this braclet meant I belonged to you. But, what does that mean? Why do I belong to you, Gaara-sama?"

She deliberately left out the end of her drem where she had went to Gaara's bedroom.

Gaara sighed. He cringed at the thought of Kiele regaining her memory.

"Actually, that's why I came out here. To talk to you about yourself. You're clueless, and it makes it hard for Temari, Kankurou, and I to talk to you, when we have to explain everything to you along the way. Kankurou so _generously_ told me that it wasn't right to keep your own past from you. So, sit down and listen up. It's a long story."

Kiele folded her hands politely on her lap.

"I'm willing to listen, Gaara-sama."

Gaara sat down, lifting one knee, the other dangling lazily off hte edge of the roof. He rested his arm on it. His trademark sitting position. He stared out at the night sky.

"It was thirteen years ago. I was only one then. You were just born. I hate to say it, but from what Kazekage said, you were a mistake. Your parents never really wanted you, but you had a purpose. They took the spirit of a deceased sand phoenix, and it was sealed within your body at birth. But you failed in your purpose. You weren't a bloodthirsty, violent, selfish beast like your parents had hoped. In fact, you were quite the opposite. You were a modest, selfless, timid child. Your parents found no use for you, then, and they realized that to get revenge on the people of Sunagakure, for some "unjust cause" they accused the Kazekage had committed, on thier own. They betrayed Suna and allied with Kirigakure. They gave information on the sand's newest advances, military and political. They sold out the sand. They were caught, and as punishment, the Kazekage took you. He learned that you, too, like me, housed a demon within you."

Kiele gasped.

"You have a demon inside you?!" She asked incredulously.

Never taking his eyes off of the sky, he nodded.

"Yes. Shukaku of the sand. The spirit of a demon, sealed away in a tea kettle. But, just like me, you were a, "failed experiment". You became dangerous, intimidating even to the jounin of the village, without meaning to. You became neglated, shunned, loathed. So, you confided in the only one person who understood of your pain. Me. I, too, was hated like you were for the demon you had. Hated for something you could not control."

Gaara paused, reminiscing in the past. As he went on, his voice became more bitter, more angry.

"We became close, almost inseperable. But then, my father, the Kazekage, saw what was happening. He was afraid that the two of us would conspire against the sand, and eventually, kill all of its inhabitants. So, he seperated the two of us. I thought that you had betrayed me, and then when my uncle, Yashamaru, tried to kill me, I was confinced that everyone hated me, including you."

Kiele's eyes became wide as saucers. Gaara didn't notice, and continued.

"Eventually, you began to think the same thing. No one was ever there for you, and you were convinced that you were in fact on your own. You relied on no one but yourself, cared for no one but yourself. You were just as cold as... Just as cold as... me. Well, maybe you weren't as cold as me... but you were still more cruel than you should have been. Then, I attacked you one night. That's when the two of us really became rivals. I hated you with a passion, but you still stood by me..."

Gaara's tone softened.

"Well, then the Chuunin Exams came along. And our worlds changed. All four of us. Somethings happened there. I tried to kill you again, but you still defended me. You called me your friend, said that you'd always be there for me, but I still knocked you aside to get to Naru- err.. my opponent. It wasn't until you were actually on the brink of death that I began to feel guilt for what I'd done. By that time, the three of us, we were positive that you were... well, you were drowning in your own blood. Your injuries were bad. You may still feel pain from them now, and it wouldn't suprise me any if you had tons of brand new scars. In any case, you know the rest of the story."

Finally, the red headed Kazekage tore his eyes from the sky, and looked towards Kiele. She had her knees pressed against her chest, and her arms wrapped around her knees. Her head rested on her knees as she stared out at nothing in particular. Gaara bit his bottom lip.

_"Maybe... I said too much?"_

Kiele's ebony hair reflected red when the moonlight shone on it. Gaara had always thought of that as wierd. But neat, both at the same time.

"Now, before I forget... I wanted to talk to you about the Akatsuki," Gaara stated solemnly.

"They're a criminal organization. And Temari, Kankurou and I have just found out that they have grown a sudden intrest in collecting demons. That means, both you and I are in trouble. So is Naruto. Well, Naruto and I can fend for ourselves, but... you aren't so great off. Your basic level ninja techniques won't last a second against a group of rouge ninja like them. So, from now, on, I'm setting some ground rules for you. And they stay, unless I tell you otherwise. After all, I am the one who set these boundaries for you."

Kiele, still off in another planet, nodded. Gaara heaved an aggitated sigh, then flicked her ear. She snapped back to reality, lifting her head.

"I was listening, Gaara-sama," Kiele insisted.

"You'd better be," He snapped.

He lowered his hand, and continued.

"I don't want you leaving the house unless an jounin ninja is with you."

"Oh, but Gaara-sama- !"

"No buts. Either Temari, Kankurou, or I have to be with you. Naruto is still a genin, and Neji is just a Chuunin. So, that means that they don't count."

"But, you just said that Naruto-san can fend for himself- !"

"I said, no buts. None, Kiele. Remember that I make the calls when it comes to sand ninja."

Kiele plopped her head back in her knees. She puffed out her bottom lip. Gaara went on.

"Also, you now have a curfew. I want you back home by eighteen hundred hours. Not a minute later."

Kiele's bottom jaw dropped.

"The children of the village don't even have a six o' clock curfew!"

"Well, the children of the village don't have an insane criminal organization hunting them, either."

Kiele crossed her arms and pouted.

"I'm not a child, Gaara-sama. I don't need a six o' clock curfew and a jounin to accompany me everywhere!"

"Would you rather have Akatsuki get ahold of you and wind up dead?"

The corners of Gaara's lips flickered up momentarily at her childish attitude.

_"Not a child, huh?"_

"Well, I suppose, if it's for my life... but Naruto-san!"

"Naruto will be fine," Gaara assured her.

"But, you said that he was just a genin!"

"Yeah, but he's seen more battle than you have in your present state. Besides. That's the Hokage's call to protect Naruto, not mine. Plus, the Kyuubi will help him."

Kiele tilted her head.

"The Kyuubi?"

"The Nine-Tailed Fox demon within Naruto," Gaara explained.

"Naruto-san has a demon sealed within him, too?"

"Yes."

"Oh."

Kiele paused, before questioning Gaara once again.

"So, Kazekage-sama... What does the Akatsuki want with the demons?"

Gaara shrugged.

"That's a good question. I really don't know, actually. They might want to study the demons. They might want to use thier powers to increase thier own. But I do know one thing for sure. And that is that the Akatsuki is no joke. They're dangerous. And you are not to affiliate with _thier_ type. My orders."

Gaara pondered how to put this thoughts into words.

"Kiele. You have to understand that I'm the one who is in charge of you. The lives of all Sunagakure ninja are my responsibility, my tools, and, in your case, my _property_. I can do as I please with you."

He guestured to Kiele's wristband.

_Prisoner of the Sand._

"You belong to me, Kiele," Gaara reminded her.

"Mine until you die. And if anything would happen to me, then you would belong to the next Kazekage- "

"Don't speak such words," Kiele repreimanded the Kazekage.

Gaara glared at her.

**No one **dared to oppose the Kazekage, especially not a little girl.

"Are you demanding that of me?" He snapped.

Kiele smiled sadly.

"No, Gaara-sama. I wouldn't dare to think of ever demanding anything of you. In fact, sometimes I'm even afraid to answer you. I fear that as sharp as your words are, I'll cut myself."

Her smile faded.

"I just don't want to hear of anything happening to you, Kazekage-sama. Gomen nasai. _Please_ do not speak such words."

Gaara's glare subsided, and his face softened. His voice lowered.

"In any case, we are leaving back for Sunagakure tomorrow. Make sure you are ready to leave at eight hundred hours, Kiele."

"Hai, Kazekage-sama."

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"Kankurou. Wake up, you lazy baka."

Kankurou groaned, and rolled over onto his side, his back facing Temari. Kiele peeked at the Suna shinobi from around the blonde. She gazed from Temari, to Kankurou, and back again. Temari rolled her eyes.

"I said get up."

Temari nudged Kankurou's body with her foot. Kankurou slapped at his elder sister's foot. Temari grinned. She mocked Gaara's tone of voice.

"Either get up, or I'll burry you in foot deep sand when we get back to Sunagakure No Sato."

"Yah, I'm sure you will, Temari. Now get the hell outta my room."

"Get up, or I'll get Gaara in here after you with his sand."

"Temari, I swear, if you don't- "

"I'll take apart Karasu."

"The hell if you will!"

"The hell if I won't."

"Temari, you're asking for a serious ass-kicking!!"

Temari's smirk widened.

"You wouldn't dare to touch the liason of Suna. Even if you could. The thought would never cross your mind. Because you're too..."

Temari slapped the back of Kankurou's head mockingly.

"_Weak_."

"Damn it, Temari, you son of a bitch! Why don't you lick my- ?"

"Kankurou-niisan!"

Kankurou flipped in his bed at the sound of the girl's voice. He saw Kiele.

"Aww, shit... Temari, why didn't you tell me she was in here?"

"Didn't ask," Temari responded bluntly.

She guestured for Kiele to leave.

"Go ahead and get breakfast started," She suggested.

"Hai, Temari-oneesan."

When she left, he glared at his elder sister.

"What would you have done if I had woken up with morning wood, huh?"

"Well, then, I guess you'd have a lot of explaining to do."

Kankurou glared at her, then flung the blankets from his body.

"You're one demented person, Temari," He scoffed.

Kankurou reached for his trademark black jumpsuit and headpeice. Temari chuckled.

"You know, that would actually be a valuable life-lesson for her."

Kankurou fell off of his bed in pure shock. Temari howled with laughter. Kankurou sat up from the floor, glaring daggers at his elder sister.

"Yeah, and if I ever find out that she knows something like that, and knows what the hell it does, then the guy's dead meat!!"

Temari rolled her eyes.

"You know just as well as I do that she's too niave to understand something as complicated as love and... well... love _making_. I don't think that we'll have to worry about them for a while still to come. And Gaara doesn't exactly grasp the concept any more than Kiele does- "

"What don't I understand?" A cold voice demanded from the door way.

Temari and Kankurou turned to see thier red headed younger brother. Temari scratched the back of her head sheepishly.

"Ah, well, you see, Gaara... I-it's nothing, really..."

Gaara glared at Temari. She shuddered. She then backed away from the doorway, putting her hands up in her defense.

"Kankurou and I were just discussing that you didn't understand the concept of love."

Gaara furrowed his eyebrows, perplexed. Temari found this an opportunity to explain it to her younger brother.

"You see, you're turning fifteen soon. And you don't even understand what love really is. Well, it's a strong, undeniable feeling deep in your stomache that you get when you look at, or even think about someone you deeply care for- "

Gaara held up his hand, silencing his sister.

"I don't care what it is. I don't have time for it, anyways. It doesn't help me be Kazekage, so it doesn't matter."

Gaara turned to leave.

"But, Gaara- !"

"I don't care, Temari. Leave it be."

Temari ran a hand through her hair, not yet tied up into her trademark quad-ponytails. She turned to Kankurou, still on the floor.

"Well, I'd say that went quite well, wouldn't you?" He asked sarcastically.

He got to his feet.

"Shut up," Temari snapped.

She pushed him back down, before leaving his room.

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"What's for breakfast today, Kiele?"

Kiele turned, smiling at her older sister- figure.

"Naruto-san never got to let me try this ramen," Kiele began.

"So, I thought we'd fix ramen."

Temari shook her head.

"But Kiele, ramen isn't a breakfast food. Besides, you don't even know how to cook it."

Kiele blinked. She looked down at her boiling water.

"It's noodles and broth, isn't it?"

"Hai," Temari replied,

"But cooked the wrong way, it could be weird."

"You've tried cooking ramen before?" Kiele questioned.

"Great! Then perhaps you could help- ?"

"No, I've never tried cooking ramen before. That's why I say it could be weird."

"Don't let Temari touch **anything**, Kiele!" Kankurou called from behind the closed doors of his bedroom.

Temari cracked her knuckles, then excused herself from the kitchen. Kiele giggled.

"They get along so well," She mused aloud.

"Really. I was under the impression that they hated one another."

Kiele whipped around, and saw none other than the Kazekage. Kiele bit her bottom lip. She doubted that she could ever look at Gaara the same way after what he'd told her the previous night.

"D-do you want ramen, Kazekage-sama?" She asked softly.

She turned back to the stove.

"No," Gaara replied.

"Naruto made me try it the other night. It was the most repulsive thing I'd ever tasted."

"Besides cake," Kiele pointed out.

"Besides cake," Gaara quickly agreed.

"How about salted tounge?" Kiele asked.

She _dispised_ salted tounge. It gave her an awkward feeling in her mouth, and it was so rubbery. But Gaara **loved** it, so she fixed it often, just in high hopes that he'd appreciate her for it.

Sure enough, when Kiele glanced over at Gaara, he licked his lips.

"Salted tounge it is."

Kiele furrowed her eyebrows, glancing back at Gaara as he seated himself at the table. He closed his eyes, his hands rested on his lap. Kiele blinked, her face blank.

_"I've never seen Gaara-sama look so at peace before..."_

She stared at him a while longer, oblivious to the fact that she was _staring_. Gaara reopened his eyes, making direct eye contact with Kiele. Kiele's face flushed.

"What?" He demanded.

"Are you going to cook, or are you just stand there and gawk at me all morning?"

Pfft. There went Gaara's peacefulness down the drain.

"H-hai, Kazekage-sama..."

Kiele disappeared into the kitchen.

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"Are you ready?"

Kiele nodded.

"I am, Kankurou-niisan."

"Well, then, c'mon. We're burning daylight here."

"Hai."

Kiele tossed what little belongings she had over her shoulder. She then ran past Kankurou, and into Gaara's room. The room was empty, with the exception of a red bag on his bed. Kiele grabbed his bag as well, which was considerably more bulky than her own, then left.

"If that's everything, then we're leaving," Gaara announced as Kiele ran out the front door.

"It is," Kiele explained.

The four sand shinobi reached the borders of Konoha, when Kiele turned back around, gazing past the gates. The sand siblings froze.

"Something wrong?" Temari inquired.

Kiele shook her head.

"No, but..."

"You forget something?" Kankurou questioned.

Kiele shook her head again.

"I hate to leave such a beautiful village... there is so much I still haven't seen..."

She paused.

"And, I wanted to say goodbye to Naruto-san, Lee-san, and Neji-san..."

"I'm sure that we'll be back again," Gaara responded.

"As allies, we have to keep in contact with one another periodically. Temari, as Sunagakure's liason, will make visits here every once in a while. Perhaps she will take you with her."

Gaara glanced at Temari. She nodded.

"Sure thing."

Kiele smiled.

"Thank you. But, I still wanted to say good-bye- "

"The three of them left, along with Nara Shikamaru, Inuzuka Kiba, and Akimichi Chouji. It would seem that they have given chase after Uchiha Sasuke, who has left Konohagakure for Orochimaru," Gaara explained.

Kiele tilted her head, as she often did.

"Orochimaru?"

Gaara nodded.

"He is the Kage of Otogakure. Very dangerous. It would seem that Orochimaru posseses what Sasuke seeks."

"Dangerous?" Kiele repeated.

"Can't we help them? I don't want Lee, Neji, Naruto, or any of the other Leaf ninja to get hurt!"

Gaara shook his head.

"There is Shikamaru with them, a Chuunin. He nearly defeated Temari in the Chuunin Exams. Plus, he's with many of Konoha's most talented ninja. They will be fine."

"But, what about Akatsuki?" Kiele asked.

"If Otogakure is evil, and so is Akatsuki, couldn't they form an alliance, and kill Naruto-san?"

Kiele almost went into shock just thinking about Naruto being killed. Kankurou shook his head.

"I think you're overreacting."

Kiele shook her head furiously.

"Well, I don't think so! And if Orochimaru is so dangerous, and if he really wats Sasuke, then couldn't he send ninja to stall Shikamaru and the others?"

"Kiele, you're- "

"Please, Gaara-sama! At least check on them!"

Gaara shook his head.

"Please! Isn't it our duty as allies of the Leaf village to help them?"

Gaara sighed.

_"The exceptions I make for this girl..."_

"Fine. We'll check on them. But-"

"Thank you, Gaara-sama!" Kiele cheered.

Gaara sighed heavily.

"Let's go."

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The sand four searched the the trees of Konoha with no results.

"I don't even sense thier chakra anywhere around here," Kankurou commented.

"They could be far away from here by now- "

Gaara halted on his branch. He held out his arm in front of his siblings. Kiele clung to his other arm.

"It's Kiba," Kankurou decided.

"And a Sound piece of trash."

Ha glanced over at Kiele, alomost disbelievingly.

"You were right, kiddo. Orochimaru did send Sound filth after the Konoha ninja."

Gaara glanced back at Kiele. Once glance at her pleading face and his made was made up.

"We won't be heading straight home for Suangakure today. First, we aid the Leaves."

Kiele smiled in satisfaction.

"Kankurou. You go to Kiba."

"Hai," Was all Kankurou said, and he was gone.

"Temari, Shikamaru is over there. He is also fighting the Sound ninja. You aid him."

"Hai."

She was gone just as fast Kankurou had.

Gaara stared straight ahead.

"Lee is up ahead," He told Kiele.

She nodded.

"You'll be with me then."

He looked back at her, his complextion more sober than usual.

"You stay back out of the fight. I will fight the Sound."

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And that is the end of chapter eight. Remember to review!


	9. Guilt Kicks In and Kimimaro's Bones

_**Guilt Kicks In and Kimimaro's Bones**_

Alright, I'll do it this time, because I understand that the ones who review my Gaara series aren't the same ones who read my Shikamaru, Wolf's Rain and YYH series. But for those of you who don't yet know, I'm not updating my stories until I get five reviews, please! I hope that isn't asking for two much. I love these series, and I would never drop them... well, I guess that's a little white lie. I might, but that's only if I were to get completely unmotivated. Whether or not you folks realize this, you do if you too are writers, I need to receive your reviews!

**_Disclaimer:_** I, once again, do not nor never will, own Naruto. I use scenes from the actual anime to hold the facts together, but I don't own the anime.

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"Lee-san!!"

"Stay behind me, Kiele. I'll handle this."

Kiele clasped her hands in front of her. Lee was in danger, and some white haired man was knocking him senseless. Gaara held his hands out in front of him, and sand traveled between the two combatants. The sand spiraled, and exploded like a bomb between the two of them, throwing them both back. The leaf shinobi flipped back into what was sure to be a painful connection with the earth.

"Lee-san!" Kiele cried again.

Gaara understood her concern, and caught Lee in a cloud of sand. The Konoha ninja reopened his eyes, and his tense complextion relaxed.

"Who are you?" The white haired man asked.

Kiele glared at Lee's opponent. She had a few choice words for him for hurting Lee.

**(No, child. Don't make him irate.)**

Takai chuckled.

**(Leave that job to Gaara.)**

Lee glanced up from his sand bed, and saw the two sand shinobi.

"Stay behind me and Lee," Gaara commanded.

"But-" Kiele began.

She started to outstretch her hand to stop Gaara, but decided against it. The young Kazekage walked ahead of Lee, who was still sprawled on his back. Kiele had to wince once she got a better look at the other man's body. She had thought the white things on his arms and body had been some type of armour. But upon closer inspection, the "things" weren't just attatched to him. They were protruding from the **inside** of his body. But as she glanced past his white "thingies" of his body, she noticed something.

_"His eyes... They're so sad..."_

**(You think his eyes are sad? You should see your own reflection once in a while. There are times when your eyes are capable of depressing even Gaara's icy heart.)**

"Gaara of the Desert..." Lee mused aloud, staring up at the red headed Kazekage.

He glanced over, and spotted Kiele.

"And Kiele-chan..."

He winced with the pain of trying to smile. Kiele dropped to her knees beside of Lee.

"Don't move, Lee-san," Kiele insisted.

"You'll only be hurting yourself."

"Gaara?" The white haired man asked.

He raised his arms above his head, then brought them down in an X across his chest.

"So, that's who you are."

White bullet-like objects emerged from the tip of his fingers. He rose his arms above his head again, then forward horizontally, shooting the bullets towards Gaara.

"Hessendan (Finger Bullets)!"

"Gaara-sama!"

Kiele rose to her feet and started for Gaara. That's when the sand soared up to defend him as a shield. The sand easliy plucked the "bullets" right out of the air, and they fell harmlessly into the grass. Kiele shuddered as she stared, horrified, at the bullets.

_"Did... Did he just launch his _finger bones_ at Kazekage-sama?"_

Gaara's sand shifted to the side, revealing the left half of his face.

"You're hasty, aren't you?"

He turned to Lee.

"You..."

Gaara turned back to his ally.

"When we last fought, your moves had more speed and edge to them."

"I figured you'd say that."

Lee stood up, much to Kiele's dismay. To her suprise, Lee smiled. He wiped blood from the corner of his mouth.

"I'm not holding any grudges, but because of you, I've gone through quite a bit of trouble."

The sand retreated to Gaara's gourd.

"Is that so?"

Kiele gasped.

_"Lee-san... Gaara-sama... they fought?"_

She remembered what Lee had told her when she had first met him... or, the present Kiele had first met him.

**_"My name, is Rock Lee of the Village Hidden in the Leaves. During the Chuunin Exams, I fought with Gaara. This is the very reason I am depending upon crutches."_**

_"That's right... Gaara-sama almost _killed_ Lee-san..."_

"But, why are you and Kiele here?" Lee asked.

Gaara turned back to Lee.

"I had to bring along the girl. She's my responsibility. As for me... I have... a big debt to Konohagakure."

Kiele's heart rose in her chest.

_"Gaara-sama... I wonder... Has he gone through some kind of reformation?"_

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Meanwhile, with Temari...

"I heard that we'd come to terms with the Sand traitors, but it's hard to believe that you'd change sides so quickly," Shikamaru sneered.

"It's not like we wanted to attack Konoha," Temari protested.

She turned to face the Konoha Chuunin.

"We were ordered to. And it's the same reason now."

Temari grinned to herself, turning back around. She decided to poke fun at him.

"Besides, when did you become so dim-witted?"

Shikamaru scowled as he noticed her grin. She pressed on.

"Are you going to give up again? In that case, I'll take care of this."

Shikamaru's ego snapped.

"I'm not going to give up. A man can't stand by and be protected by a woman."

Temari rolled her eyes. Her smile evaporated.

"Still going on about that man and woman crap, I see. Stop acting all tough, idiot."

Her grin returned.

"Kiele would have a bone to pick with you for saying that. She'd put you in your place. Not as much as me, but she would."

Temari found it funny that, whether it be in the midst of battle, or picking fun at a ninja from another village, she couldn't help but think of her little "sister".

She got her mind back on track, and held her fan out in front of her.

"So, you're with Konoha this time?" Sneered the sound ninja.

"Well aren't you the busybody."

(**A/N:** Her name's Tayuya. It isn't said directly in this particular scene, but that's what it is, and I don't wanna call her "sound ninja". That tends to get old, so I'm making this easier for us all to follow.)

She brought her lips up to her flute, and began to play. Temari smiled.

_"Kiele wanted to learn to play the flute, but stuck with the piano..."_

She shook her head, and swung her fan.

"Dai Kamaitachi no Jutsu!"

Tayuya flew from her perch on the branch from the force of the impact. The trees turned to mulch.

"She's hiding," Shikamaru scowled.

"She ran away?" Temari asked, a hint of humor in her voice.

"No, I can't see that happening."

"So, give me an analysis of her skills and fighting style," Temari demanded.

"And explain the situation."

"First," Shikamaru began,

"Her standard attack is to use her flute sound to trap her opponent in an illusion. While they're trapped, she attacks physically. She's a long-distance genjutsu user, by what I've seen. After seeing your technique, she's probably realized that your attack style is her weakness, and that it's two on one. Unless she can catch us in an illusion, she's not coming back."

He paused, before adding,

"If you ask me, we've got the short end of the stick here. It would be best to back off for a bit and -"

"Who asked for your opinion?" Temari demanded.

"I asked you to explain the situation."

She smirked, bringing her thumb to her mouth.

"My power isn't to be taken lightly."

She bit her thumb, and spread her blood across her fan.

"If she thinks I'm going to stand by while I wait for her to play her flute, she's just too naive!"

She swung her fan.

"Kuchiyose Kirikiri Mai!"

Her summon, a weasel on a sycthe, took off at lightning speed through the woods to locate Temari's prey.

With another wave of her fan, Temari shredded the trees like paper, and the sound kunoichi was caught in the after math. She fell, and was crushed fatally between two falling trees. Temari propped her fan upright, her hand on her hip. She gazed proudly at her work. She had killed a sound ninja, protected a Konoha Chuunin, and tore apart Konoha's forest. Not bad for ten minutes' work.

"Well, it's over."

Shikamaru stared, dumbstruck.

Temari turned, flashing Shikamaru a cheesy grin.

"How was that?"

She realized how lucky she was to not have Kiele there. Kiele would have been frightened of the fact she was willing to kill. But Kiele was a ninja, and she would have to be taught to kill sometime.

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With Kankurou...

The Crow soared at Ukon, its palm outstretched. When it was close, a poisoned blade protruded from its wrist, aimed at Ukon. He lept back, and Kankurou jerked back on the strings.

"A puppet, is it?" Ukon inquired mockingly.

Kankurou ignored him. He had a job to do, and it didn't include making small talk with the enemy.

"The four of you came here together, right?" Kiba asked.

He rested his head on the tree trunk.

"The other three went ahead because you guys are weak," Kankurou replied.

"You idiot!" Kiba spat.

"These guys aren't half-assed!"

Kiba sniffed the air.

"Behind you!" Kiba warned.

Kankurou quickly glanced over his shoulder. Sure enough, Sakon lunged at Kankurou, his clawed hand grasping ahold of the sand ninja's face. Kankurou grabbed onto his arm, trying to pull Sakon off of him.

"What's with this guy?"

Ukon grinned demonically.

"I'll let you take care of it, Sakon. Kill him!"

"Be careful! They can enter your body and merge with it!"

"It's too late!" Sakon exclaimed.

Though Kankurou struggled, Sakon held tight. His face began to crack and peel, but Kankurou only grinned.

Sakon's eyes widened.

"He- !"

"What's wrong, Sakon?" Ukon demanded.

Sakon began to crunch Kankurou's face in his hands, and sand fell from his face, forming a pile of sand on the earth. Beneath his sand diguise, Kankurou's other puppet, Kuroari, resided.

"Your technique doesn't seem to work on puppets," Kankurou replied smugly.

He emerged from his hiding place on the back of his puppet. He flipped out, landing on his knees. His back was turned towards Sakon and Ukon.

"A fair warning... We shinobi of the Sand aren't as easy-going as those of the Leaves."

He rose to his feet.

"But getting close to Kuroari so carelessly..."

Kankurou twisted his fingers to expertly manipulate the puppet. Kuroari's six arms came to life as they lifed up, deadly blades unsheathing themselves.

"Isn't good for your health!"

Kuroari enclosed on its opponent, its blades spread, and Sakon was done for. Blood drizzled profusely to the ground. This sound ninja had fought its last, as Kankurou thought, as his lifeless body crashed to the ground upon Kuroari's release. Kuroari raised its six arms triumphfantly, its latest victim's blood dribbling down them. It turned to Ukon, and glided across the earth towards him. Ukon ran towards Sakon, who slipped into his twin's body.

"I underestimated them. Let me rest in your body," Sakon grunted.

"You're pathetic," Ukon sneered.

Kankurou was disgusted.

"What are these guys?"

"It's thier ability," Kiba replied.

"Kiele would be weirded out..." Kankurou commented.

He chuckled as he pictured his young little "sister" grasping his arm, cowering behind him at the sight of these two freaks merging like that.

Sakon patted his gut.

"My wound is already starting to heal," He announced.

"He's underestimating me," Kankurou scoffed.

"He's not an enemy you can easily beat!" Kiba shouted angrily.

"Back down for now!"

Kankurou's eyebrow furrowed angrily.

"No way! I can't retreat after he's underestimated me!" He spat furiously.

His fingers twisted again. The Crow soared at the conjoined twins. They dodged. Kankurou jerked his hand up, and the Crow shot kunai at them from its hands. They evaded the attack easily. He flipped back, only to fall into the open trap hole that was Kuroari's innards. Chakra meld the puppet shut, and the two were trapped.

"Kuroari isn't an offensive puppet," Kankurou explained.

"It's used to capture its targets. And attack together with Karasu."

"Dammit, let me out of here!" Sakon screamed.

Karau's joints unhinged and rose above Kuroari. From its joints unfolded sharp, lethal blades that were at least a foot long.

"Eat this!" Kankurou declared.

"Karakuri Engeki! Kuro Higi Ippatsu!"

The blades rose higher, then plunged down into the slots in Kuroari. Sakon let loose a blood-curdling scream, and it was over. Blood seeped through the cracks of Kuroari. Kankurou sighed.

_"Kiele's never seen me kill before... Kiele would be scared of me now if she had seen this..."_

_"If..."_

He smiled when he reassured himself that Kiele was in fact not there, and hadn't seen the way he's slaughtered them.

Kankurou's innocent grin turned sadistic.

"That's the end."

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Back with Kiele and Gaara...

Lee held up his hand, preparing himself in traditional taijutsu stance. Gaara and Kiele gazed at his arm. Down his arm, blood ran, staining the grass. Kiele gingerly rested her hands on Lee's shoulders.

"You are in no condition to fight, Lee-san," She insisted.

"Please, just let Gaara-sama take care of this."

"I cannot!" Lee replied stubbornly.

"I must finish what I started against him!"

While Kiele gently tried to coax Lee to let Gaara take matters into his own hands, Gaara had other thinngs running though his mind.

He stared, almost guiltily, at Lee's arm as he relived the past.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

_**The dust cloud subsided, and Gaara laid there, sand breaking his fall. His hand slowly lifted towards Lee as he sat up, clearly in pain. His sand snaked its way to Lee's figure. He saw that Kiele brought a hand to her mouth.**_

_**Lee noticed the sand, and crawled in the opposite direction as quickly as his mangled body would allow him.**_

_**"No...no, no, no, no!!" Kiele grasped the railing, shaking it voilently.**_

_"Shut up, Kiele, or I'll come after after you, too, when this is all over."_

_**Gaara laughed to himself, watching Lee struggling to get away.**_

_"It is futile..."_

_**Lee couldn't escape quickly enough, and Gaara's sand grasped ahold of Lee's left leg, and then his left arm. He struggled against the sand, but to no avail.**_

_**"Subaku Soso!" Gaara hissed, sqeezing his fist shut.**_

_**Lee's shrieks of agony hung in the air, like a sick, sweet symphony to Gaara.**_

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Gaara snapped back from his flashback. He glanced back at his opponent.

"I'll take care of this."

Kiele beamed.

"I told you Gaara-sama would be happy to take over!"

Lee lowered his arm. He gazed from Gaara, to the white haired man. Lee shook his head and ran ahead.

"No, please be my back up."

But before Lee could get very far, Gaara's sand lashed out, wrapping around his ankle. The sand tripped Lee, giving him a faceplant into the sand. Kiele giggled, and Lee's leg tugged at the sand.

"'E 'and ish in meh ouf..."

Kiele knelt down next to Lee.

"What did you say, Lee-san?" She laughed.

Lee lifted his head. Sand clung to his face, not only to his skin, but on his mouth and massive eyebrows as well.

"I said, the sand is in my mouth."

He whipped his head around and glared at Gaara.

"Please let go!"

He cringed. Gaara replied by walking ahead of Lee.

"Stay behind me, Kiele," Gaara repeated.

"Neither of you can do anything right now in your condition. I'll do it."

He continued towards the white-haired man. (I'm calling him Kimimaro from now on. I know it doesn't give his name to Gaara and Lee, but I'm tired of calling him "white-haired man". It makes it hard for not just me, but you, the reader, to follow.)

"Please be careful!" Lee called after him.

"He uses his bones to attack! He can launch his bones like before, and make them stick out of his body. He can control his bones freely!"

"Gaara of the Desert..." Kimimaro recited.

Gaara halted. He was in attacking range now, but still far enough away to have time to defend himself. His sand hovered like a cloud above him.

"As your name implies, I'm guessing you use sand," Kimimaro pressed on.

The bones in Kimimaro's body retracted. Kiele could feel Takai's uneasiness inside of her.

**(Gaara is strong, but Kimimaro is stronger.)**

Kiele's eyes widened. Someone stronger than Kazekage-sama? Was that even possible?

_"But... what can we do?"_ She asked.

Takai paused, as if debating whether or not to tell the girl. Gaara wouldn't be too impressed, that was for sure.

**(Your pain tolerance in your current state is low. I want to apologize in advance for this, naive one.)**

_"What do you mean, Takai-san?" _Kiele insisted.

Kimimaro lifted his hand. More finger bones began to show from the tip of his fingers. But Gaara didn't miss a beat. He conjured his sand to attack Kimimaro before the bones could even be shot. Kimimaro, however, didn't miss anything, either. He flipped above the sand, then twisted in midair, waving his arm.

"Hessendan!"

Kiele's breath was suddenly caught her throat. She found it hard to breathe, as if someone had clamped a hard around her neck. She fell onto her back in the grass, holding her chest. Eventually, she began to writhe and cry out in sheer agony. Lee turned around quickly at the sound of her pained cries. Gaara turned around, but being in battle, couldn't fully attend to her.

"What is it?" Gaara demanded.

"I- I don't-" Lee began.

Kiele curled up in a ball, still clutching her chest. Sand built up around her, assulting Lee as he approached. He skid back, staring in awe at the sand dome that harbored the girl. He stared at Gaara, expecting an answer.

"Has she ever done this before?" He asked anxiously.

Gaara glared at the dome, even the sand unable to muffle Kiele screams of pure toment.

_"This is her demon's doing, no doubt..."_

The sand crumbled away, and a woman Gaara nor Lee had ever seen before stood up. Her spiked hair was a pine green, and her eyes were a deep gold. She flexed her fingers, which were more like talons than anything. Gaara glanced down, and saw Kiele. She was unconsious, and curled up into a ball on her side. He glared up at the woman. Lee just gawked.

"Who are you, and what have you done to my ninja?" Gaara demanded.

"I have come to aid you in your lost cause of fighting Kimimaro. As for who I am..."

She flashed a cocky smile at the red headed Kazekage.

"You may call me Takai."

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And there you have it! That's it. Read up next time to see Gaara and Takai kick some Kimimaro-sound ass:)


	10. Her Bold Defiance & His Jealous Desicion

**_Her Bold Defiance and His Jealous Desicion_**

Sorry this took so long!! My computer got a ton a of viruses, and soon the Start bar wouldn't even appear at the computer startup!! (Slaps brother on the back. **Hard**.) Yup. Little brothers and thier downloading crap. You gotta love 'em. Ehe he he... So we had to have it taken in to the shop. Why we didn't do this earlier is beyond me. I told my dad to take it in to be checked all the way back in May, but Nooooo. Ashley doesn't know what she's talking about when she says the computer's unusually sluggish. Ashley is a nimrod that knows nothing of her computer. Again, I'm so sorry for the three months of delay!!!

**_Disclaimer: _**I do not own Naruto. I am just a crazed, phycotic, dreamy, wishful writer of it, like many people. X D

* * *

_Drip._

Somewhere in the darkness, water fell from some unseen ledge.

_Drip._

Kiele furrowed her eyebrows, as if hoping that squinting might help her see into the abyss. She cautiously stepped forward, when something wet seeped between her toes. Though she looked down at her feet, she saw nothing but black. Wiggling her toes, fear made her heart pace quicken.

This liquid was not water... It was too thick.

_Drip._

She gasped, stumbling backward, nearly losing her balance. The dripping sound was closer than it had been before. Terror consumed her very being.

"Gaara-sama!!" She shrieked.

The only response she received was her own voice echoing off invisible walls.

"Kazekage-sama! Where are you?"

She took off at a run, her footsteps and voice resounding from somewhere unseen.

"Temari-san! Kankurou-san!"

Tripping over her own feet, she experienced a face-plant. Her face was covered with the liquid. Screaming, the liquid filled her mouth with metallic taste. She spat it out, sitting up.

_Drip._

_Splat._

The blood struck the top of her head. Holding her breath and afraid of what she'd see, she gazed skyward. She saw nothing but black.

But when her eyes returned to the black in front of her, she saw something. A little boy in a loose-fitting tan tunic sat with his knees against his chest. Kiele opened her mouth to adress him, when she noticed the boy's shoulders shaking. He was crying soudlessly.

Kiele knew the boy looked familiar, but she couldn't quite place where she could have seen him before. His head was burried in his knees, so Kiele couldn't see his face. But his distinct hue of red hair was a near dead give-away.

It was Gaara, as a child.

A smile crept onto her face, running to the boy. She knelt down in front of him, gently lifting his chin with two fingers.

"You... You're..."

His face was streaked with red from tears, but there was no mistaking those black-rimmed eyes. Before she had a chance to react, Gaara lunged at her, teal eyes wild. He seized her forearms, and, dispite her age in comparison to his, she couldn't move.

"Don't leave me!!" He screamed at her.

Kiele's eyes widened, shocked.

"I've been left by myself for the last time!!" He cried, on the verge of tears.

Sand coiled around her, suffocating her.

"Gaara..." She breathed.

"I'll never be alone again!! You'll stay with me forever! I won't let you run away from me!!"

He brought her to his chest, sand keeping her from doing anything. He wrapped his small arms around her as best as he could.

"You'll never leave me alone again, Kiele!!"

"I'd rather..."

Gaara's eyes widened, becoming even more savage.

"I'd rather you **die**!!"

Kiele squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for death to come. She couldn't move, and the sand only seemed to get tighter and tighter. It would only be a matter of time before...

The sand fell to the ground. Gaara's arms seemed to grow, as they wrapped themselves even more around her frame.

"You'll never leave me alone again..." He repeated, his voice deeper, more calm.

"I'd rather you **die**."

Kiele's eyes sprang open. This deep voice, she knew well. Her eyes slowly opened, and she gazed up to see him looking down at her. The Gaara she knew... The Gaara she loved. The Kazekage. She burried her head in her chest and grasped ahold of his crison jacket, feeling tears well up in her eyes.

"Gaara... I was so scared, I was so...

alone..."

Suddenly consumed with fury, she tightened her gasp on Gaara's jacket, angrily threw him away from her. The young Kage stumbled on his knees as Kiele rose to her feet. Glaring down on his, her eyes narrowed dangerously.

"You left me so alone," She seethed.

"You never understood what I was going through with your father! You never even cared to try! I've tried to gain your acceptance... several times!! You promised when your father died, you'd let me come back to you! But you lied to me!! Ever since then, you've done nothing but push me away! Don't think I didn't notice! What's wrong, _Gaara_?! Afraid to have a woman get too close to your heart? That's your one fear, isn't it? Afraid that you might be _wrong_, that someone cares about you? Kazekage... No! You're no Kazekage! You're not worthy of that title! You're just like your father- a lying **bastard**!! I **hate** you!!"

Gaara sat on the ground, staring up at her with vaccant eyes. Kiele covered her mouth, astonished and frightened as she collapsed onto the floor.

_"What..."_

_"What was that all about...?"_

* * *

"... You may call me Takai."

"Takai, hmm? If you are so, then welcome to the team."

"What?! You mean you really intend to allow that _thing_ to fight?!"

"Grr... You little ingrate! Look at yourself! You're practically a cripple! You do you think you are, to judge me? I am no _thing_, idiot, I am a majestic animal, you incapacitated green freak!!"

Kiele's eyes slowly opened. She felt a frown creep onto her face as she attempted to sit up, but her body was so drained she could hardly do so. She wou;dn't be of any use in battle. Not today. Then she noticed the demon. She recgonized that voice. It was one she often heard in her mind.

_"So, when Takai-san leaves my body, this is how pathetic I become...?"_

"Sabaku no Gaara..." Kimimaro recited.

At the sight of Gaara, her anger to suddenly curse her leige shocked her.

_"Why am I... so... _furious_...?"_

Gaara stepped forward, sand levitating about his gourd.

"As your name implies, I'm guess ing that you use sand," Kimimaro suggested.

Gaara didn't answer, and the bones protruding from Kimimaro's body sank back into his skin.

Kimimaro lifted his arms, and his finger bones shot from his fingers. Gaara's sand wasted no time in defending himself, and lashing it out at the Kaguya. Kimimaro jumped back and up.

"Hessadan!" He called, lashing his arms out.

More of Gaara's sand rushed in front of him, deflecting the finger bullets. Kimimaro landed in a handstand, then flipped sideways, backwards, and all ways, evading the sand's attempts, shooting Hessadan at Gaara again and again only to be blocked by Gaara's sand.

"Sabaku no Gaara... What a stupid name," Kimimaro spat, trying to intimidate Gaara.

"Without your sand, you can't do a thing!"

Kimimaro launched more finger bullets at Gaara, who blocked and whipped at Kimimaro with his sand, thus beginning another flipping session on Kimimaro's part.

"Carrying around that heavy sand is proof!" Kimimaro mocked.

"Kimimaro, eh?" Kiele pondered aloud.

"How foolish. Gaara-sama won't be beaten that easily."

Kimimaro landed, and Gaara glared at him past his sand defense.

"Suna Shigure."

"Not artistic at all," Kimmimaro replied snidely.

He tried to move, but sand around his feet held fast.

"As long as I have sand, I can do anything. You're the one who's a fool!" Gaara hissed, raising his hand and cupping the air.

Kiele gingerly eased herself onto her feet. She walked up beside Gaara, making several hand signs.

"Suna Futo- !"

The young Kazekage seized Kiele's fingers in mid-jutsu.

"This fight doesn't concern you. I already told you, stay out of it! Get behind Lee!" Gaara scolded, sending a sharp gaze her way.

Anger swelled withing Kiele's heart. Before she could even think about stopping herself, she yelled at him.

"No, Gaara! I will not stay out of the way!" She replied defiantly.

Gaara flinched. He hadn't been talked to like that, not since he had become Kazekage. He pushed off his thoughts, returning to the battle at hand. Kiele's cheeks flushed with embarassment.

"I- I merely mean, I want to help you-"

"Stay out of my way, Kiele. Try me if you think I'm joking."

"Y-yes, Kazekage-s-sama..."

Kiele's cheeks grew brighter.

Kimimaro cringed as the sand struck his body, piercing his skin.

"It's simple for me to create sand from the ground," Gaara announced.

Sand swirled and twisted around Kimimaro, enclosing his completely.

"You got him!" The green clothed shinobi cheered from behind Gaara.

"Not yet," Gaara replied, holding out his hand.

"Sabaku Sousou!"

He grasped the air tightly with his fist. The sand around Kimimaro compressed. Takai scowled.

"I see. Without me to suppress your memories, they are beginning to flow back naturally to you."

Gaara nearly fell over in shock. Kiele blinked.

"My... memories?!"

Takai turned to Gaara.

"Don't get your underwear in a knot," She adressed him.

"As soon as I reenter her body, I can suppress her memories once again."

Gaara nodded, frowning at the whole underwear thing.

"But- But I _want_ to remember things!!!"

Her pleas were ignored. She heard the shifting of sand, and quickly turned to see Kimimaro's hand emerge from the sand, then slowly the rest of him thrust the sand aside.

"What impressive pressure," Kimimaro complimented.

"If I hadn't created those masks underneath my skin, I would've been crushed."

"Those bones..." Gaara mused aloud.

"He's a monster."

"What a troublesome body," the leaf shinobi agreed.

"I underestimated you, but I won't get trapped by your sand again," Kimimaro assured Gaara.

Gaara made several hand signs, and the wind around him picked up. A wave of sand began to rise from the ground in front of him.

"Ryuusa Bakuryu!" Gaara called.

Kimimaro stared in awe.

"Kimimaro..." Kiele whispered.

"Why are you trying to kill? I thought you were just going to stop him from hurting Lee-san!?" Kiele demanded, the sand crashing down on him.

He dodged and flipped, evading the sand until eventually it caught him off guard, engulfing him.

"... No matter who they are, you are not given the right to take someone else's life..."

Rock Lee stared, awed. Gaara's eyes hardened.

"Be quiet, or I'll personally shut you up."

The sand ran into the forest, knocking down trees. It no longer looked like a forest, but a sand flooded landscape.

"You did it!" Lee exclaimed.

Gaara glanced sidelong at her, then focused back on the sand. It had stopped, and Gaara placed his palms on the surface.

"Sabaku Taiso!"

The earth quake violently, nearly knocking Lee to his knees. Kiele balanced herself, kneeling onto the ground. A tail purged through the sand. Kiele shivered, grasping her forearms.

Gaara, on his knees, clamped his hands shut. Sand swirled and enclosed Kimimaro.

"Sabaku Kyuu."

Kimimaro easily broke through, then swirved and charged at Lee and Gaara. Kiele took a step back, afraid as Gaara thrust his hands forward, commanding his sand to attack. Kimimaro evaded every assult. Gaara placed his palm on the sand. It rose in his defense.

As if on cue, Kimimaro burst through the sand shield with ease, throwing Gaara aside.

"Oh no, Gaara-sama!!"

Kiele started to run after him, when Lee grabbed her sleeve

"Is that the limit to your so called "Ultimate Defense"?" Kimimaro questioned sarcastically.

"Rather disappointing, actually."

Gaara sat up, and the sides of his face began to peel and flake.

"I see," Kimimaro mused aloud.

"So you had sand covering you to begin with."

Lee rapidly jumped behind Kimimaro.

"He isn't your only opponent!" He cried.

"I'm here too!"

He twisted in the air, bending backwards. Kimimaro blocked with ease. He flipped his tail around to hit Lee. Gaara noticed and commanded his sand to block the impact. Kimimaro easily broke through, striking Lee in the back. Gaara's sand covered his face again, Lee hitting the ground. He sat up and glared at Kimimaro's back. Kiele wrung her hands tightly behind her back.

"That sand is a hinderance. I'll deal with you first, Gaara," Kimimaro sneered.

Kimimaro rached up to his back, and slowly unsheathed his own spinal column. He held it like a sword.

"Tessenka no Mai!"

He lashed it out at Gaara, and his sand came around him in his defense, Kimimaro's spine curving around Gaara's body.

"Flower!"

Kimimaro's free hand turned into a large spear like bone.

"This is the thickest bone in my body," Kimimaro explained.

"It'll easily pierce through you and your sand defense."

He coughed up blood. Kiele cringed.

Gaara's sand shot up and wrapped around Kimimaro's spine.

"Saikyou Zettai Bogyo, Shuukaku no Tate!" Gaara proclaimed.

Around Kimimaro's spine formed a giant monster that resembled a racoon. Kiele's eyes grew wide. Kimimaro ran his spear-like arm through the sand beast, spraying sand across the landscape. The two combatants struggled to stand thier ground, until Kimimaro's arm shattered.

"That's strong..."

"I collect the strongest minerals from underground, then pressurize them into dense sand around me," Gaara explained.

"You... that special jutsu... That's a Blood Line limit, isn't it?"

"Tha Kaguya clan's..." Kimimaro responded bitterly.

"And now, mine alone."

"You are the last of your clan?" Gaara inquired curiously.

"Then your clan will be finished off here and now."

"No," Kimimaro opposed.

"I may die, but it will not be because of _you_."

"Get away from here," Gaara commanded Kiele.

"Takai, would you?"

Takai looked as if her head might explode.

"I came out to help you, and now you want me to go back?!"

"I don't need you help," Gaara replied bluntly.

"But, Gaara-sama-" Kiele objected.

"Leave, now!" Gaara hissed.

Kiele opened her mouth to object again, when the demon soared at her. She grabbed her host's arm, dragging her behind a nearby tree, unnoticed but Lee and Gaara. They continued to watch the fight.

"I hold Orochimaru-sama's ambitions... and for that reason, I will stay in his heart forever," Kimimaro continued.

Suddenly, Gaara busted from the bone wrapped around him, and the sand beneath Kimimaro held him into place. It turned to quicksand, pulling him slowly under as he whipped around his spine.

"You'll sink two hundred meters inderground and be held there," Gaara taunted.

"With the sand's pressure on your body, you'll soon be unable to move even a finger."

Kimimaro went fully under, and the quicksand hardened.

"You did it!" Lee cheered.

"This time, you really got him!"

Gaara stared uncertainly at the sand.

"Sawarabi no Mai!"

Bone spears shot up, violently purging the surface of the earth. Kiele gasped, bones surrounding her. The tree fell, revealing herself and Takai to Gaara and Lee. Kiele gasped as she felt Takai returning to her body. The unexplainable anger she had felt towards Gaara vanished in an instant. The two leviated on a sand like cloud, and Gaara stared harshly at her. She began to run, when sand caught her around the waist and lifted her onto Gaara's cloud.

"We're saved, even Kiele," Lee stated.

"As to be expected from you."

"I told you to get out of here. You should have been a long way away from here... If you had listened to my orders."

Kiele bowed her head.

"I am sorry... Gaara-sama..."

Gaara looked troubled. Kimimaro had shaken him up.

"I'm only riding the sand that is always moving around me. The trick is knowing how to use it."

Gaara sighed and leaned forward.

"He was stubborn, but this is the end. He won't be coming back out again."

He placed his right hand on his knee, and his left on the cloud. Sweat ran down the side of his face.

"This is my limit. We're going down."

"This isn't brainwashing!!" A voice screamed.

Gaara's eyes widened. The three turned and saw Kimimaro.

"This person... Orochimaru-sama... It's all my own reasoning!!"

He rasied his spear-like arm. He plunged it down towards Gaara's eye.

"Gaara-sama!!" Kiele shreiked.

She threw herself in front of Gaara, her eyes tightly shut. She braced herself for pain to surge through her own eye. Lee raised his arms in his defense, gritting his teeth. When no blood-curdling scream came, and no pain, he lowered his arms and opened his eyes. He stared, shocked, at the scene before him. When pain never came, Kiele opened her eyes. She gasped. The spear was only centimeters from her eye. Blood trickled down Kimimaro's mouth, his eyes empty.

"He's dead," Gaara stated sullenly.

* * *

"We would have been completely defeated." 

"That's not true," Lee argued.

Gaara, Lee, and Kiele sat against the trunk of a tree, away from the previous scene.

"My sensei told me that luck is also part of strength."

"That busybody..." Gaara retorted, rather rudely.

Lee sat up angrily.

"He's not a busybody!" Lee defended.

"That time, in the Chuunin Exams... it was my own weaknes. I'm grateful to you for saving me, but please don't talk about my sensei like that!"

"You're the same," Gaara replied.

"If the person you admire is insulted, you become angry. But, the person who is important to you isn't always good."

"But you don't have to take your someone evil as your important person," Lee argued.

"No," Gaara argued back.

"Even if you know the person is evil... people can't defeat loneliness."

Lee nodded, then looked across at Kiele.

"Speaking of which... I am assuming that Gaara here is your important person."

Kiele blushed.

"Yes, very much so. But I like Temari-san and Kankurou-san, too-"

"Maybe so," Lee countered slyly.

"But would you lunge in front of a ninja to take the hit for them just like you did for him?"

Kiele was speechless. Gaara sighed.

"Leave the subject alone, Lee," Gaara demanded.

He turned his attention to Kiele, his eyes steely.

"You've been unusually defiant today," He said.

"Yes, and I'm so sorry Kazekage-sama!"

Kiele shifted to her knees, bowing down. Gaara waved dismissively at her.

"Why is that?"

"I... I do not know, my lord..."

He saw theat Kiele was genuinely perplexed. But Gaara knew very well the reason of her defiance. Takai had said so earlier...

_"I see. Without me to suppress your memories, they are beginning to flow back naturally to you."_

* * *

"What is your report?" 

"Tayuya of the Sound was successfully eliminated, Nara Shikamaru was alive."

"Sakon and Ukon of the Sound were both successfully elminated, Inuzuka Kiba and his ninken Akamaru were injured, but alive."

"Good."

"And... I suppose you killed Kimimaro?"

"Well... that's one way of saying it..."

Temari flinched.

"What do you mean, Gaara?" She asked.

"It would seem that Kimimaro was ill before we fought," He explained.

"He would have killed Kiele and me both... But he died of that illness before he could deliver the finishing blow."

Temari gazed over at the modest girl, sitting in a corner on the opposite side of the room with her head hung, reserving herself. Kankurou jerked his thumb towards her.

"What's wrong with her?"

"I scolded her earlier," Gaara replied.

"For what?" Temari asked incredulously.

Gaara sighed, casting a quick glance towards Kiele. She was pretending not to hear them.

"It doesn't matter. I've already said my peice in the matter, so it is no longer relevant."

"If you say so," Temari shrugged, in her 'Well-you-are-the-Kazekage-so-I-won't-question-it-as-much-as-I'd-like-to' tone of voice.

Temari and Kankurou's eyes connected, and it was as if some unspoken agreement had been reached. Kankurou walked over to Kiele, ruffling her hair as he spoke to Gaara.

"Hey, Gaara, would you mind if I took mousy here for a little while? It's good to be back home... Besides. I think you'll have your hands full with papers?"

He waved his hand at the monstrosity of beige and white that hid the Kazekage's desk from view.

"Sure," Gaara replied.

"Whatever."

"Alrighty little miss! You heard 'em! Let's go!"

He heaved a giggling Kiele over his shoulder and marched out the door with her. Walking over to the window, Temari watched the two head down the streets of Sune towards... where ever Kankurou was taking her. When Temari was sure they were gone, she spoke.

"Gaara... there's been something I've been meaning to say for some time now. Kankurou and I promised Hyuuga Neji not to say anything, but I don't think we ought to just let the matter go so- "

"Temari," Gaara interrupted, irritated.

"If this is a trivial matter, then I think it can wait until tonight."

"But that's just it!" Temari breathed.

"It can't wait! The Hyuuga, he- !"

Gaara looked up from his papers, head in his palm, uninterested.

"No offense to the Hyuuga... But I could care less about some rumour he's spreading."

He returned to his papers. Temari stressed. Her words ran together.

"It's not a rumour, it's true, Gaara! It's about Kiele!!"

Gaara froze. He placed his pen on the table. His sister had gotten his attention. Temari saw this and calmed herself.

"The Hyuuga... Kankurou was out drinking with Kiba, and some of the other older Leaf ninja. Neji was there only to make sure his sensei didn't get drunk. Kankurou said that they were talking... about women. When asked about it... Neji said that there was no woman he really loved."

"So what's the point of your tale?" Gaara demanded, his patience thinning.

"He said there was no woman he whole-heartedly loved... But when Kankurou pressed him, he admitted that there was just _one_ woman that interested him."

Gaara's jaw clentched.

"And this woman is Kiele?"

Temari nodded.

"He wanted Kankurou to keep quiet about it, but he told me-"

"The Hyuuga was drunk," Gaara replied coldly.

Temari shook her head.

"Neji doesn't drink."

"So he is infactuated with Kiele. He'll get over it after a little bit."

"Maybe so, but..." Temari paused.

"Until that time comes, Neji has asked me for your permission to have her stay in Konoha to see if she is his "type"-"

Gaara placed his hands flat on his desk, rising to his feet.

"No," He responded cruely.

Temari shuddered as he glared at her as if it had been all her idea.

"Kiele belongs to me. As punishment for the actions of her parents. She will stay where I am."

Gaara took his seat once more.

"Send note to the Hyuuga telling him that permission is declined."

"But Gaara-"

"Enough, Temari. Do as I say."

"Gaara, you can't keep her locked up like some pet," Temari advised quietly.

"I wish you'd settle down and find love... But if you don't, that's on you. Please, if Kiele has a chance to find it, you should let her. After all... Her parents did pay the proce in the end."

"The assassination of Sharne Kalik and Natami Juliane was due to thier dishonesty to our father, decieving him that they cared for thier daughter, not for their alliance with Kirigakure."

Temari fell silent.

"Still, Gaara, you shouldn't keep her tied up like this... It isn't fair to her..."

Gaara bit his bottom lip.

"Fine," He finally announced.

"However, Kankurou will temporarily take up my duties as Kazekage. You will remain here as liason, while I accompany Kiele to Konohagakure... for one month only. The Hyuuga's feelings sorted or not, we will be returning then."

Temari's jaw dropped.

"Gaara! You can't just abandon your title as Kazekage, and then decide that you want it back later!! That's, that's-!"

"I cannot just give her to Konohagakure. They are in a weakened state now, and no match for Akatsuki if they decided to attack. I also cannot leave Kiele's life in Kankurou's hands. Strong as he may be, it has been made quite clear in Konoha that he cannot handle this Deidara, who is after Kiele for her demon. I, however, will be more than enough for him to handle. As temporary Kazekage, Kankurou will have all these ninja at his disposal, and if he has any problems, he may ask you, or, as a last resort effort only, he may send note to me for assisstance."

Temari bit her lip as she contemplated his reasoning.

"Suna... are you sure you should leave?"

"I trust the judgement of you and Kankurou."

"But you have just become Kazekage- !"

"We'll leave once I've passed this by the council elders."

Temari sighed.

"Alright," Temari agreed slowly.

"But be careful. And if we need you, promise me you will come right back, okay?"

"Sure," Gaara replied carelessly.

"Now if that is all, leave."

"Sure thing, Gaara."

As she shut the door behind her, Temari smiled to herself, wondering if there was another reason for accompanying Kiele. She was sure there were; reasons the Gaara she knew would never admit to.

_Jealousy_ reasons.

* * *

And that's a wrap, people!! Come back for the next installment! I should the other out sometime this week, if I don't procrastinate!! 


	11. Enthralled and Confusion

I'm sorry this took so incredibly long to get out! I'm sorry, but I may be putting my stories on unofficial Haitus, at least until this summer. Until now, it's been quite unofficial, since I never really declared it, and that's still up in the air. I recently got my motivation to write back, but who knows how long it'll actually last… I'm so sorry, everyone…

* * *

Her legs were little more than Jell-O, threatening to betray her and collapse beneath her. Nervous, her hands went into overdrive, twiddling her thumbs a hundred miles per hour. Gaara exhaled sharply, coming to a halt. His eyes narrowed as he slowly turned to face her.

"Stop it." He ordered.

"You have no idea how annoying and distracting that is."

He spoke slowly as if speaking to an imbecile. Kiele tilted her head slightly to the side.

"What is distracting, Gaara-sama?" She questioned, twiddling her thumbs in front of her lips.

Gaara's eyes twitched ever so slightly as his gaze rested upon her hands. Her fidgeting stopped abruptly.

"Gomen…" She apologized, barely audible, dropping her hands to her sides.

They almost immediately retreated behind her back, where they resumed twiddling. Gaara ran a hand through his red tresses, his fingers lightly stroking his earlobe.

"Tell me. Why are you so restless?"

He examined her restrained expression as she chewed on the inside of her cheek.

"Look. You know you can tell me anything, right?"

His words were strained and awkward as he spoke them. He didn't like playing the part of psychologist. That's why he was Kazekage.

But Kiele don't seem to notice his uncomfortable state. She hesitated a moment, before blurting,

"I don't want to get married, Gaara-sama! I don't even know Neji-san! I mean- I've met him, but- That doesn't mean I'm ready for marriage! I'm only thirteen! I've got my whole life ahead of me as does Neji-san! Even so- I don't wanna marry, Gaara-sama, I _don't_!"

Gaara had to frown in order to keep from _laughing_. This was just his own proof that the trip was not in fact a waste of his time, merely a reassurance that Kiele wasn't interested. He turned his back to her just in case a grin did break his carefully composed mask.

"You don't have a choice in the matter," He replied finally.

"And quite frankly, neither do I. Your refusal to come would be an insult to Konohagakure, as the Hyuuga are a prestigious clan in the Leaf. After that infamous slip at the Chuunin Exams, that is the last thing that Suna needs if we want to keep up good relations with them."

Kiele groaned, but grew silent as Gaara threw her a stern look over his shoulder.

"I'll go, but I will not promise to enjoy it, Gaara-sama."

The young Kazekage shook his head, smiling softly as he began walking again.

"_Such defiance… Reminds me of…"_

"Now if memory serves me right, was it not you who nearly cried leaving Konoha last visit we made?"

There was a sharp intake of breath as Kiele, insulted, crossed her arms firmly across her chest as a stubborn child.

"I did not cry!"

"I said _nearly_. You didn't want leave. And all of your time will not be spent with the Hyuuga. You can go visit Naruto and Lee all you want. Just because you have to travel to Konoha on his terms does not mean you stay there on his terms."

Her arms dropped back down to her sides, blowing at a stray hair in front of her face. She ran to catch up with her lord and liege, growing serious.

"I'm glad. I don't want to get married. Ever."

Another grin found its way onto his otherwise nonchalant lips.

"And why do you say that?"

She raised her index finger omnisciently, a pansophical look taking over her much unsophisticated features.

"Kankurou-san said that marriage was no blessing, but a curse. Any man who would demote himself so low as to getting onto one knee for a woman who would do nothing but whine and nag for the rest of their life together is a complete and total idiot. Then Temari onee-san said that marriage is a giant shackle. After they are married, a couple loses all sense of love that they had for one another, and the man only wants to gawk at other women. She said that marriage is just like a new toy- Fun at first, but then it gets boring, and you get to thinking, "What a waste of time and money"."

Gaara's lips twitched as laughter threatened to explode from them. It shocked him how she was like the world's first living, breathing recorder. He made a mental note to never say anything remotely ridiculous in front of her, because it would most certainly come back to bite him in the ass.

"I can't say from experience that what they spoke of is true or false," He replied carefully,

"But I can say that if marriage is so bad, then why are they both contemplating marriage as we speak?"

"Because love is just like a sickness," Kiele responded immediately.

Gaara noticed that it was as if she had practiced and recited this all before.

"Love is like the falling-sickness. There is no absolute cure for it, bet there are things that make it better. And one of the things that make it work best is the ultimate form of love- Marriage."

So rehearsed, in fact, that it took her a second to register what he'd just said. She gasped.

"Temari-oneesan and Kankurou-san are getting married?! When? To whom?!"

Gaara immediately regretted opening his trap.

"There is a woman in sand that has taken Kankurou's eye. They've been dating about a year now… but he's far too young for marriage. Temari, on the other hand, is already waiting for a proposal from Shikamaru of Konoha. She's getting ahead of herself, if you ask me. She's still young, also."

Kiele opened her mouth to speak, so Gaara quickly interrupted to avoid being bombarded with a barrage of questions he didn't want to answer.

"So, according to you, people get married because marriage is like chemotherapy?" He chuckled.

It was more of an inside joke to himself. Corny comment, but it had worked. She was completely sidetracked. Kiele cocked her head to the side.

"Chemotherapy…?"

"Never mind…"

"What is…?"

"It is a form of remedy aside from high dosages of medication to cure a severe illness."

"Ummm… Okay, but I still don't really understand… Why would they call it chemotherapy? What is a chemo?"

* * *

"I'm going to find Naruto-san right away!" Kiele declared, skipping through the streets of Konoha.

"After we greet the Hokage," Gaara grunted.

This transition from a melancholy Kiele to an ADHD one he would never get over… nor would he ever much appreciate it. As much as he loved Naruto as a friend, she reminded, and acted, a lot like him, and it made him grateful he wasn't a shinobi of the Leaf. To have both of them to deal with, at the same time... He didn't want to think about it, as he shuddered at the mere thought.

"Right, I almost forgot about Tsunade-sama!! Then, I want to visit Lee-san- is he still in the hospital? I hope he's better… Oh! And I promised to pay a visit to Sakura-chan to help her arrange flow-"

"First, we go to the Hokage to let her know we're here," Gaara interjected harshly.

"Then, we're going to the Hyuuga household. After all, that's the entire reason we're here. We aren't here to pay visits and for playtime."

Kiele groaned, before crossing her arms stubbornly, and began to pout.

"I'd almost forgotten… I don't wanna meet Neji-san again! I've only met him once before- !"

"Twice," Gaara corrected, opening the Hokage's door.

"Only once that I can remember!" She insisted.

"What's all the fuss about?" Tsunade demanded, standing up and making her way around her desk.

"It's nothing to worry about," Gaara assured her.

"I don't want to meet with Neji-san!" Kiele declared defiantly.

"Manners, Kiele," Gaara scolded.

"Is that so?" Tsunade teased.

"Well, Neji sure wants to meet with you. In fact, he and Hizashi have requested that I send you to their home as soon as you arrived. Hinata Hyuuga will take you there- we've arranged for you to meet at the curry shop down the street. She's the young lady with the long black hair and the pale eyes. You can't miss her."

"May I please visit with Naruto-san and Lee-san first?" Kiele pleaded.

"Actually, Naruto just left the village earlier this week," The Hokage replied.

"He's away on training with Jiraiya. They're expected to be gone a couple of years, at the least. And Lee has left the village, but he is training at the moment. He'll be back later on tonight, so you might as well go and get settled in at the Hyuuga household. You'll be staying there while you're here."

If she had tuned out everything, she did catch one thing the woman had said.

"Naruto-san is gone? For a few years?!"

"Yes. You shouldn't keep the Hyuuga waiting, now. Go on."

Groaning, she reluctantly left, leaving Gaara and Tsunade alone. She chuckled, taking a seat again at her desk.

"My my, that girl must be quite the handful, Gaara."

He ignored the question, all business.

"I'd just like to mention that I have no intention of marrying Kiele off to Neji Hyuuga."

Tsunade straightened, her face falling from his humorous complexion.

"I was afraid of that."

He remained silent a moment longer, before continuing.

"I'm sure you understand the circumstances in which Kiele falling under."

"Yes."

"And I know the customs in which the Hyuuga follow. They marry young and have children shortly after. If a male marries a woman whom cannot bear him a child, he doesn't have to technically leave that woman, but he must find another woman who _can_ bear him a child. Typically, this type of betrayal will result in divorce or separation, anyway."

"Well, somebody's done their homework."

"I like to know what I'm getting myself into," Was Gaara's simplistic reply, crossing his arms and sitting down in the chair across from Tsunade.

"To be honest, a clan like the Hyuuga is the last type of clan I want Kiele married to. Married women are like dogs in their clan, no offense to their ways. They must stay by their Hyuuga husband always, obey his every command, heel if he says heel."

Tsunade frowned.

"I think you're getting carried away with traditions, Gaara."

She shuffled papers on her desk, moving them off to the side.

"However, I can see what you mean. The women are devoted to their Hyuuga counterpart, and I can see your area of concern for Kiele if your demands clashed with Neji's. Naturally, she must listen to you before Neji, which would pose a drastic problem if war were to break out between our countries again. I could order her to be exiled from the village safely, but I still cannot guarantee her absolute safety against some shinobi, or even against her own husband and the Hyuuga. Someone might try to kill her. In that scenario, you wouldn't be forgiving us anytime soon, and a state of alliance would be out of the question."

She sighed, leaning back in her chair.

"So, the easiest solution would be for this potential marriage to fall through," Tsunade concluded solemnly.

Gaara's eyes narrowed.

"Actually… I'm insulted that the Hyuuga would even consider such an arrangement. They should know what kinds of problems this can pose to both of our countries."

"Yes," Tsunade defended, and with a smile, she added,

"But I hear that men are rasher than women. He hasn't thought this through clearly yet. Men in love don't think about those things in the early stages of affection, you know."

"No, I don't know," Gaara retorted icily.

"And you're right, he sure as hell hasn't thought about consequences."

"Now, it's no reason to get so upset, Gaara," Tsunade reprimanded.

Her tone changed, and she decided to tease the young Kazekage. She propped her elbow on the table, resting her chin in her palm.

"I hear from Kankurou and Temari that you're quite protective over the little girl."

"She isn't little," Gaara replied hotly.

If she was little, then that made him just as little, seeing as he was only a little over a year older than her.

"She's a young woman."

"Yes, she is, isn't she?" Tsunade replied, smiling.

"And very pretty, too, don't you think?"

Gaara didn't respond, only glared at Tsunade expectantly.

"Before too long, many young men will want her interest."

The young Kazekage's eyes narrowed once again as he leaned forward, uncrossing his arms.

"Where are you going with trying to flatter Kiele?" Gaara demanded.

Tsunade laughed heartily, crossing her legs and placing her palms on her knees.

"It's not flattery. It's truth. I don't know how much you know about love and infatuation, but Kiele is cute now. She'll attract the attention of young boys, like Neji, Naruto and Lee, but in a few years, she'll be a full fledged woman. You can handle her now, while she's ignorant, but are you sure you can handle her in two, three years?"

Gaara glared at the Hokage, leaning back into the chair.

"_How the hell did this conversation take_ this _kind of turn?"_

"I can handle her."

Then it hit him, what Tsunade had said.

"…_She'll attract the attention of young boys, like Neji, Naruto and Lee…"_

"Naruto and Lee like Kiele as well?"

"Of course," Tsunade replied, looking at Gaara as if he were blind.

"Lee picks flowers for her everyday after training, and asks Sakura to arrange them for him so that he can give them to Kiele on her next visit here. But he always gets cold feet and doesn't follow through!"

She laughed, then continued,

"And Naruto! He wanted to write a good-bye letter to Kiele, but Jiraiya told him that to win the girl, he had to play it cool, and seem like he wasn't interested in her, to make her come running after him. That Jiraiya, he's such a lecher…"

"Kiele will not chase anyone," Gaara responded confidently.

"Maybe," Was the Hokage's skeptical reply.

"But someday, one man will get tired of waiting for her to chase him, and turn around and chase_ her_. Like the situation with Neji. He's making his feelings known, while Naruto and Lee decided to hide theirs. And look where it's gotten each of them. Naruto left before the commotion of an "engaged Hyuuga" spread around the village, but when Lee heard of such news, he was completely heartbroken. I'd watch out if I were you. He might try and make a move on Kiele."

Gaara contemplated what the Hokage was saying, then asked,

"So she'll get married. I'd prefer Naruto of the three, personally. He could best protect her, and I know that if war broke out between our villages, he'd defend her life with his own. That's the kind of person I'd like to see Kiele with. But marriage right now is out of the question. She's way too young."

Tsunade's smug smile fell from her face. Gaara was agreeing with Kiele marrying another? This wasn't supposed to happen. She had expected Gaara to get so angry or jealous, or a combination of both, that he'd openly declare his love for Kiele. It was a battle of wit, cunning and patience, and she was losing horribly.

"_Maybe he just doesn't feel that way… Maybe, it's more of just a brotherly love he has for the girl…"_

"You'd allow Kiele to marry Naruto?" She asked cautiously.

"In a few years, I'll consider it. After she's about twenty or so."

"I see…"

"_I suppose Kankurou and Temari were mistaken… unless this is just some trick Gaara is trying to pull."_

"Then you wouldn't mind if I told Naruto that he could marry Kiele once he returns?"

Gaara's eyes widened in horror, just as Tsunade had hoped that they would.

"Not a chance," Gaara shot.

The audacious smile returned to Tsunade's complexion.

"Oh?" She questioned with fraud innocence.

"I thought you were okay with her marriage to Naruto?"

"I am," Gaara retorted heatedly.

"But it's only fine by me as long as it's fine with Kiele. If she wants to be married, just as long as she still knows where her loyalties lie, I have nothing to say. Otherwise…"

"Otherwise?"

"Otherwise… I have no problem with it."

Tsunade's shoulders slumped, defeated.

"I guess that's it, then. You'll be staying in the same complex as your last visit, then?"

"I will."

"Right, then…"

She sighed, gesturing to the door.

"Speak with the lady at the front desk out there. She should have the key you need."

"Thank you," Gaara acknowledged, standing to his feet.

"No, no, thank _you_, Gaara…"

Picking up his key from the said woman, he headed to his temporary quarters. It had taken a lot to control his temper, and not explode on the Hokage for her nosiness, but he'd managed. He really had no problem with Kiele getting married- but he was entitled to her as well. By law, by blood, and by fate. The Hyuuga weren't going to change that, not Naruto, and not the Hokage.

But the Hokage's words still rang in his ears, and he felt that they would for some time to come. For some reason, her ramblings had struck a nerve of some sort, and they didn't sit comfortably in his mind. What was more, he couldn't think of a logical explanation as to _why_ they would bother him so. While the matter of marriage was put to rest with Kiele, he had some research to do of his own.

* * *

Hmm... What's up? Gaara's jealous, but he's not jealous? Bah... I'm actually getting tired of this mushy stuff... This story's been like this for a while now... I think I'm going to spice it up a little, what do you think? :)


	12. Change In Plans

I really enjoyed writing this chapter. It was a lot of fun, and I've got good places that this chapter will lead.

As always, I'm not Masasashi Kishimoto. Standard disclaimer still applies.

* * *

It didn't matter how many books he looked through, or how many times he read the same lines. By the time he laid down the seventeenth book, he was still as lost as the moment he'd picked up the first. A low growl escaped his lips from the recesses of the back of his throat. Nothing, anywhere in the pages of anything, could he find anything he was remotely looking for.

The Kazekage ran a hand quickly through his hair before balling that hand into a fist in which he rested his head upon. No novel, biography or anything else held his answers. He'd tried everything from science to philosophy, and yielded no results. The only thing that even held the word "love" in the same context, really, was poetry. But he wasn't a fan of it at all. Nor was he really "in" love… right? Of course he was right. He didn't need a book to tell him that…

But then why was he sitting there, angrily flipping through countless pages trying to decipher the "emotion"? That was all he was told. Several philosophy books had told him that much.

"Love is an emotion…"

Blah blah blah. That was all he actually read. He'd already _known_ that love was an emotion. But even the most in-depth book hadn't told him how to tell when you're in love… or what love meant… Some even mentioned the "physical" type of love engaged between two human beings. But those were the books he found himself chucking across the room before he'd finished reading the sentence. Kankurou had very unnecessarily educated him on _that_ vile subject…

The thought had crossed his mind that maybe this concept was not one that could be covered through a book. But that thought dissipated in his mind almost as quickly as it had come. There wasn't anything he had ever been challenged with that couldn't be solved by reading something. What a ridiculous idea…

But there had been another, more pressing matter at hand he'd been rummaging the books for. This answer had been much more easily found.

Apparently, out of the three types of amnesia that existed, antegrade, retrograde, and transient global amnesia, Kiele had retrograde amnesia.

"The victim is unable to recall past memories and information in his/her life following a trauma…"

Yup. That sounded about right. However, in many cases, Gaara had continued to read, amnesia was rarely cured. Amnesia included memory loss, memory loss included loss of brain cells, and brain cells could not be replaced. In minor cases, the condition would simply "wear off". But as Gaara recounted, after the thorough beating he'd dished out to Kiele's head… well, he wouldn't exactly call any of that _minor_…

But overall, it couldn't have been completely incurable. Otherwise, Chiyo wouldn't have bothered to brew up those medicinal herbs to prevent the odds Kiele might recover. She certainly wasn't the type to just give a person something to simply "put their mind at ease". There was "treatment", the pages said, but no sure-fire cure. Treatment, and repetition, alone were key, but still would not yield perfect results.

Gaara closed the book, stacking it beside the tower of other "research" novels. A small, smug grin crept across his lips, and he sat down on the couch. His arms spread across the back of the furniture. So he'd been worried over nothing. Kiele _might_ regain her former consciousness only if proper treatment were prescribed, and her true history were told to her again… and again… and again… until she remembered herself. But no one would ever put that kind of pain on dear Kiele. Everyone loved Kiele's new attitude, loved to see her happy, loved to see her smile. No one in their right mind would ever tell her on a regular basis about how her beloved Kazekage had tried to kill her on countless accounts, or about how her parents sold her to the Fourth in exchange for their own lives which they didn't get to keep anyways, or about the bitter, angry, confused girl she had previously been. Knowing the current Kiele, she would be crushed to hear she had been such a person. But that didn't matter anymore. Because no one would ever tell her…

All this new knowledge overflowing in his brain was making his stomach growl with hunger. Time to go get something to eat. With Kiele at the Hyuuga household until late tonight, they'd surely feed her sometime between now and then. Besides… there was no way that the _Kazekage_ should have to wait for a little girl to return, on a full stomach nonetheless, and let himself starve all the while.

There was only one place that he really knew of. And that was the infamous Ichiraku. Joy. Ramen wasn't the worst thing in the world, but it wasn't exactly the best, either. He held out hope that they'd serve him something aside from ramen, but with a name like "Ichiraku's Ramen", those hopes didn't go very high.

And now that he was in Konoha, and his paperwork was with Kankurou, all the way back in Suna… He didn't have that weight on his shoulders. In some ways, it was a relief. He had time to do other things he wanted to do. Ha! Imagine that. In other ways, it was inconvenient. When he wasn't doing research, he was bored out of his mind. He couldn't just sit there… So he'd catch himself cracking open another book before he knew it. It was a good thing he had decided to go to the Ichiraku's instead of scout out another destination. He lifted the cloth in the doorway, and froze.

"Hyuuga?"

The pale-eyed Neji cast a dark gaze over the Kazekage. Rising from his seat, he confronted the young shinobi. Gaara braced himself slightly, sensing the anger and hatred that seemed to emmit from Neji.

"What are you doing here?" He demanded.

"You are supposed to be entertaining Kiele."

"She never showed up," Was Neji's icy response.

Gaara's brow furrowed.

"The Hokage sent her with the Hyuuga female, I saw her-"

"_Hinata_," Neji interrupted, as if livid the Kazekage hadn't known her name,

"Was found unconscious just outside the borders of Konohagakure, by some shinobi upon thier arrival from a mission. She is now in the hospital, and is unresponsive."

Gaara's jaw was set, his eyes hard.

"Kiele is with her in the hospital, then."

"No. Kiele was nowhere to be found. Nowhere inside the village, and not anywhere around the perimeters."

The Kazekage's eyes flashed dangerously.

_"Deidara... Of the Akatsuki..."_ Was his first thought.

_"...No. If it had been Deidara, then the Hyuuga girl would have been killed. He'd have had no reason to keep her alive."_

"And why am I the last to be informed of this?" He snapped.

"She is my responsibility. Konoha was wrong to have tried to take matters into thier own hands without my knowledge, when Kiele is _mine_."

"You speak of her as if she is a possession."

He chose to ignore the remark, and left the ramen shop, hunger suddenly pushed to the back of his mind. The Hokage would be hearing his anger on the issue. To his annoyance, Neji trotted up alongside him.

"Lady Tsunade is not sure how to act," The Hyuuga informed him.

"She wanted to decide on a course of action before notifying you of Kiele's disappearance."

"She could be miles away by now. Out of Fire Country. I want to find her before her abducters have a chance to have thier way with her."

_"And thier way will be her death."_

Neji stopped in front of Gaara, blocking his path on the narrow street. The red head frowned, crossing his arms.

"Lady Tsunade is not sure that Kiele was... _abducted_."

Gaara decided to momentarily humor Neji, and demanded to know what The Hokage thought.

"Tsunade-sama is not ruling out abduction," Neii began, his tone harsh.

"But she has a second theory that she is more inclined to."

"Which is what?"

"She believes that it was Kiele who attacked Hinata, and fled the village."

Gaara sighed, irritated.

"Get out of my way," He ordered through his teeth.

"I don't have time for you and your rediculous _theories_."

"You'll be told the same thing by Lady Tsunade," Neji warned, stepping aside.

* * *

Gaara's patience was wearing dangerously thin as he argued with Tsunade. Both were extremely stubborn and arrogant, and neither were about to give in. There was no way that Kiele would unleash her inner demon and assult another. This new girl was far too kind and soft for that kind of behaviour. Besides, Gaara doubted that Kiele had been re-taught the shinobi skills to incapacitate someone like Hinata Hyuuga, and then make a clean getaway without being detected by someone. Tsunade wasn't as convinced.

"Human beings lose all sanity when their existance is threatened."

"Kiele was not being threatened by anyone," Gaara hissed.

"She is more or less a pitiful excuse for a ninja. She doesn't have the heart to step on insects below her, let alone attempt to take another's life."

"Hinata's wounds suggest otherwise. They are very severe."

"Others are after Kiele. I know it was them."

"They wouldn't have left Hinata alive!"

Gaara couldn't argue with that. But perhaps, it was as simple as the Akatsuki not being bothered to kill today.

"Besides," Tsunade continued.

"There are obvious signs on a struggle near the area where Hinata was found. I know what you're thinking... You think it was the Akatsuki who took Kiele. But the assult was simply not... clean enough, to have been committed by such powerful opponents."

"Takai has certain... abilities," Gaara informed her.

"The demon is like a "relative" to Shukaku, but not quite so. The sand bends to the demon's will, but not Kiele's. Unlike the Shukaku, Takai's powers increase and strengthen at the height of emotion. The one ability that Takai possesses, and shows up on Kiele is her... persuasive traits."

"Persuasive traits...?"

"Many are swayed and influenced by her own emotions. When she is angry, she tends to make others around her angry as well. When she is depressed, others become low in spirits. It's a strange thing, and she isn't aware she can do such a thing. The demon itself isn't even aware of the extent of its own powers, it seems. I'm sure that she could also influence her opponents to feel a certain way, if she wanted. Therefore, if she wanted to kill Hinata, she could have done so easily. A struggle would not have been nessecary."

"But you just contradicted yourself," Tsunade pointed out.

"She doesn't know she has such an ability."

"Kiele does it without any awareness whatsoever," Gaara explained.

"She does not need to know."

"So, it's all in her subconscious..." Tsunade finally felt calm enough to sit down.

"Interesting."

"Do you think it possible for her to have been kidnapped by a third party? Someone not as powerful as the Akatsuki, but still strong enough to take out Hinata? Can you think of anyone at all?"

"No, I can't. She isn't the kind who would stand out. Her life isn't one of value, unless you count the demon."

He ran a hand through his tresses, and exhaled sharply.

"Well, obviously, there is no more reason for me to be here. I am going to return to Sunagakure now, and send Kankurou here in case Kiele comes back to this village, if it's alright with you."

"That's not likely to happen."

Gaara nodded.

"I'd like to be prepared for anything," Was his dull reply.

"If it really makes you feel better, I'll allow it, but that's really not going-"

Her response came too little, too late. Gaara was already shutting the door close behind him. Tsunade shot a glare to Neji, who had been lenaing against the opposite wall.

"If you'd just kept this from him until I'd given my okay, this wouldn't have went over so badly."

"My apologizes, Tsunade-sama."

"Huh!"

She ignored him, and scratched her head.

_"Influential, huh?"_

She rose, and told Neji she was going to examine Hinata's wounds. Neij offered to come along.

* * *

"Oh! Oh my god!"

"What is it?"

"Eeeeek!"

Tsunade grunted, and plugged her ears at the scream.

"What in the world-?"

Neji burst through the door, Tsunade following in behind him. They were greeted almost immediately by Shizune, Ton-ton in her arms.

"Lady Tsunade! You'll never believe this!"

"What is it?" She demanded, pushing past Neji.

She glanced down, and gasped in horror.

The medics had begun to more closely examine Hinata. But now, the girl was seeming to _foam_. From her major joints, her arms, her legs, mouth. The table Hinata rested upon was soaked in the subtance, and it overflowed onto the floor. No one dared to go anywhere ner it.

"What is going on? Just what is this?" Neji whispered.

Without warning, the body of Hinata seemed to cave in and deflated, as if she were a balloon, and someone had just released all the air. The corpse shrivelled, hissed, and vanished. Most in the room stood dumbstruck, watching the foam-like substance slowly disappear like suds. It was Neji who reacted first. He stepped forward, around the sudsy mass, and stared down at where his cousin used to be. His temple bulged, his veins rippling through his head.

"A clone," He mused.

"Clone?" Shizune asked.

"But I've never seen anything act like that! She just... she just...!!"

"I'm assembling a rescue team, to find the real Hinata!" Tsunade declared rashly.

"Neji, I'm putting your new skills as a Chuunin at the head of this operation. Gather three others you believe to be assets, and leave tomorrow afternoon!"

"Yes, Lady Tsunade," Neji agreed.

He gave one last glance at the evaporating suds on the table and floor, before leaving the room.

* * *

**Hallelujah**, it's _about time_ I got to the real plot I was aiming for! I promise, it'll be much more interesting from now on. No more beating around the bush with things.


	13. Emotions and Feelings

Again... My apologizes... But it goes without saying, I'm not motivated to write much anymore. (shrugs) But I have an obligation to you guys, and I'll never, ever quit on something I've started. But I've made an extra juicy chapter for you guys today. The new Shikamaru chapter should be up shortly. Enjoy.

* * *

It was dark. That was the most obvious thing. Kiele blinked several times upon wakening, but couldn't tell the difference in the light whether her eyes were open or closed. She sat up, and slammed her head hard on something. Groaning, she held her face in her hands, and slowly rolled back over. Taking a moment to gather herself, she took in her surroundings. She had been stripped out of her normal attire, hitae-ate and all. Now, she wore a thin cloth short-sleeved shirt and capri pants. No shoes, no socks. Even her bracelet declaring her as Gaara's had been removed. She whimpered softly.

"Uh... Kiele? Is that you?"

She would have recgonized that soft, high-pitched voice anywhere.

"Hinata-san!?"

"Y-yes..."

Gingerly, Kiele prodded her surroundings with her hands. First was whatever she'd hit her head on. It was a thick wooden plank, perhaps the bottom to a bunk bed. Besides that, there was a wall behind her, and to her left. On her right, was open air. She took her time standing up, walking slowly along the wall, her fingers tracing every dent and paint scratch in search of a light switch.

"K-Kiele?"

"Yes, Hinata-san?"

"We... we are-"

But before she could finish, Kiele had stumbled into a solid something, and not just any something- a man. As her foot brushed across the cold concrete, she kicked into a mass, and he groaned upon impact. Kiele screamed, cutting the Hyuuga short. Kiele heard the Hyuuga gasp, and the man quickly rose. Before she had to to act, he had lunged onto her, pinning her to the ground. He was a huge man, Kiele noticed. Not obeise, but tall, and muscular. Kiele moaned out, thrusting herself upwards, struggling against him in vain. He didn't even have to tighten his hold, his grasp on her was so firm.

"Shh!" He urged her under his breath.

Even though Kiele bit her tongue, the man still shifted both of her hands to one of his own, clamping his free hand firmly over her mouth.

"You don't want to wake Suigetsu at this time of night. _Trust _me."

Kiele whimpered again, nodding maddly. There was a shuffling noise that had come back from the bed. In a moment, the man had bolted up and towards the source of the noise, dragging Kiele along behind him.

"Hinata-san!" Kiele called, the moment his hand had left her mouth.

But it was no use. There was a thud, and a high-pitched grunt. Kiele squirmed again, and the man threw her against the wall, pinning her there with a built arm before gravity had a chance to claim her. A soft sound escaped the lips of the Hyuuga, and Kiele replied with a soft whimper of her own. The man was wheezing, as if he'd just finished running a marathon. He was close, Kiele knew, because she felt his warm breath on her cheek.

"I am not your enemy," He grunted.

"Not unless you make circumstances as such."

Kiele tried to shake her head, but her throat was mashed to the wall. She lightly reached up, tapping the man's arm as a reminder to him that he was killing her.

"Right."

He released her, and she hit the concrete with a soft "umph", the sound of Hinata following in the same instant.

The man leaned down, cupping Kiele's chin in his hands.

"My name is Jugo. Circumstances has allowed us to become friends, for the time being."

Kiele nodded once again, reaching up to rub her sore throat. She coughed slightly.

"Suigetsu is a rash man. Be quiet, and your stay here will be more comfortable."

"Uhn," Was Hinata's attempted relpy. Her throat must've hurt, too.

There was a shuffling sound as the man dropped his hands and rose to his feet. After a few seconds of listening to him cross the room, Kiele was suddenly blinded by a brilliant surge of light. She immediately covered her face in her hands, blinking furiously. The man approached them again, and she heard him sit down in front of them. Gathering herself, Kiele finally looked up to observe her surroundings for the first time. The room was all concrete- The walls, the floor, the ceiling. There was a sturdy-looking bunk bed off in the corner, but other than that, the room was completely empty. Her eyes flickered to the man who called himself "Jugo". He was a bold-looking man, and very young. His features were very squared, with vibrant, spiked, _wild _orange hair and almost translucent green eyes. He, too, was wearing the same attire as Hintata and herself- a bright, loose white t-shirt and faded capris. He blinked at Kiele, cocking his head to the side in question. Jugo leaned back, and draped his arms across his legs, folded Indian-style. If he had a question, he wasn't asking. Kiele tore her eyes from the strange man before her, and looked over to the Hyuuga. Hinata was staring wide-eyed at Jugo, almost as if spellbound. The door screeched open with an almost painful sound, and broke the silence, as well as the serene mood, of the room. A man with raven black hair stepped inside, arms crossed. He glared around the room with black, hardened eyes, and Jugo stood up.

"They're awake," He announced unnecessarily.

The man didn't speak. He didn't even glance at the two females that sat against the wall beside him. With a brief gesture, he jerked his thumb over his shoulder and out the door. If Kiele hadn't known any better, she would have said that Jugo was excited, and he walked briskly around the balck haired man, shutting the door behind him. The man had an intimidating aura about him. He moved towards the bed, sitting down wordlessly. Kiele curled up against herself, scooting closer to Hinata- something familiar. But the Hyuuga failed to noticed. Her eyes, locked onto the black haired man, were widened in astonishment, her jaw was dropped.

"H-Hinata... san? Is... is there something wrong?"

Hinata continued to stare, and a voice piped up in Kiele's mind, so unexpected that it made her jump.

**She must recgonize him.**

Kiele nodded to herself.

"Hinata-san... Do you know him?"

Slowly, the Hyuuga nodded.

"Uchiha... Sasuke...."

Something in Kiele's mind clicked.

_"'It would seem that they have given chase after Uchiha Sasuke, who has left Konohagakure for Orochimaru."_

_"Orochimaru?"_

_"He is the Kage of Otogakure. Very dangerous. It would seem that Orochimaru posseses what Sasuke seeks.'"_

Kiele felt her chest cave in.

* * *

"...I'd prefer to have Naruto with me as I leave, but obviusly, that's not possible."

Tsunade nodded in understanding, Gaara rapping his fingers on his arm impatiently. He had agreed to at least wait for the Hyuuga to assemble his team so that they could accompany him back to the Sand.

_"We never should have even left the village," _The young Kazekage droned to himself for the hudredth time.

"Well, with any luck, the five of you will be enough to get the job done, without Naruto."

Her head titlted in thier general direction, meeting the eyes of everyone present. The Hokage's gaze met Neji's, then flited to his three chosen comrades; Kiba, Sakura and Lee. The leaf taijutsu user's eyes blazed furiously, holding his fist in the air.

"Do not worry, Kiele-chan! I will come and save you, no matter where you are!"

"We'll find Hinata, won't we Akamaru?"

His ninken replied with a booming, "Arrf!"

Neji bit his lip, suppressing an exasperated groan. At first, he'd been opposed to choosing people like Lee and Kiba, who had personal connections with the captives going beyond that of a mission. But then, after rethinking the situation, he decided that having people like them would actually be... beneficial to the mission's cause. Stray thoughts of Naruto had convinced him of that.

Sakura had been an obvious choice. With her combined healing expertise and physical abilities, not to mention her chakra control and a star pupil of Lady Tsunade herself... It was a win-win situation.

"Take care. And bring back our shinobi."

Gaara grunted, turning to leave.

"Kankurou will be here shortly."

* * *

"Ack! Pervy sage, what do you think you're doing?!"

"Huh? Uh- Research! Now quiet down!"

Naruto snickered, rubbing his nose with his index finger. He leaned forward, reached for his cup on the stand beside his chair.

"Uh-huh! Nice try, pervy-sensei, but you're not-"

The cup cracked as his fingers neared. He stared at the cup is shock, his lips parting slightly. He remembered Sakura telling him something about her silly superstitions. He'd laughed at her at the time. But now, as he brushed his finger over the crack, he wondered...

* * *

"Wake up."

Kiele heard the words spoken, and Takai urged her to obey, but her mind was off in dreamland. It wasn't until she recieved a swift kick in the side that she jolted awake. Her eyes flew open, and Hinata uttered a soft whimper for her. Sasuke glared down at her, his hands on his hips. His eyes went to the door, his head jerking slightly towards Kiele. Jugo appeared, a tray in his hands. Sasuke exited the room, shutting the door behind him. Jugo sat down in front Kiele, dropping the tray onto the floor with a soft thunk,

"I suppose you're hungry."

Kiele paused, before glancing over to Hinata. She was staring at Kiele in concern as she sat munching on a steamed carrot. Kiele's eyes dropped back down to the tray, and prodded through the miniscule bowl of rice.

_"I wonder if it's poisoned...?"_

**If it is, then the Hyuuga is dead.**

Kiele whimpered, Jugo's eyes flickering up to her instantly.

"What?" He demanded.

She shook her head furiously, shoveling rice into her mouth. Jugo rolled his eyes, lying down on the floor, rolling over until his back faced the girls. Kiele's eyes traveled to Hinata's tray- nearly empty now.

**I'm sorry,** The demon said so quickly, the words almost blended into a single syllable.

**She has the Byukagan. If the food were tainted, she would've seen it immediately.**

She nodded, her eyes shifting back to her own plate. Of course... At least, Takai was here. It would help Kiele and Hinata through this. It wouldn't let either of them die, or else it would perish, too.

Jugo gave Kiele odd feelings. Although she was frightened of Sasuke, somehow, Jugo scared her almost equally. He seemed like he was a ticking bomb, waiting to explode. And when he did... well, Kiele didn't want to be around to witness it. Sighing, she hugged her knees to her chest. She burried her face in her knee caps, suppressing tears.

_"If I weren't so helpless, Hinata-san and I wouldn't be in this situation..."_

She waited for the demon to reprimand her for her negative thoughts. The voice never came. Of course not.

_"It knows how true it is..."_

Kiele bit her lip, her teeth sinking deep into the flesh. If only she were stronger... If only she were the person she was before. She knew how much of a burden she was to Gaara-sama. He had made sure to show that often. But she couldn't remember a time when she wanted the Kazekage with her more than right now, annoying or not. A metallic taste filled her mouth.

_"I wonder... Does Gaara-sama even know that I'm gone...?"_

* * *

"G-Gaara-sama!! Lee...!" Sakura huffed.

She coughed, slumping against the tree she landed upon. The young Kazekage growled, casting her a venomous glare over his shoulder. He passed up Lee, who had stopped at Sakura's call.

"Come on, Sakura-chan! Kiele and Hinata are waiting for us!"

"Lee, calm down," Neji commanded.

"We don't even know where they are yet."

His brow furrowed angrily as Gaara turned into merely a speck into the distance.

"Kiba, take Akamaru and stop Gaara. Tell him we need to take a break."

"Gotcha! Leave it to us, Neji!"

Kiba leapt from the branch, his eyes zeroing in on the Kazekage. He soared from tree to tree, but the Kazekage was showing no signs of slowing down, no fatigue in his step. If anything, he was getting _farther away_. If all of them went at his pace, they could reach Suna easily in a day, was Kiba's thoughts, already short of breath. He huffed, stopping on a branch. He gazed over his shoulder. Neji and the others were long out of sight now. He looked back ahead of him. Gaara, too, would soon fade away into the shallow forest. But it didn't matter. Soon, the forest would gradually become a searing desert. The Kazekage couldn't possible run all the way to Suna without stopping to rest... could he? Kiba gazed over at his dog.

"Akamaru... Track him for us, boy."

"Arrf!"

The dog bounded off, accelerating faster now without his owner as a speed handicap. Kiba exhaled sharply, muttering profanities under his breath. He had not wanted to seperate himself with Akamaru, but the Kazekage wasn't giving them much of a choice. The ninja turned, and headed back to the rest of his team.

"Kiba? Where's Akamaru?" Neji demanded upon Kiba's return.

Kiba tutted angrily, jerking his thumb over his shoulder.

"I couldn't catch up with Gaara," He stated.

"So I had Akamaru track down Gaara. As long as Akamaru stays on him, I can always follow his scent."

"Good idea."

"So... Are we taking a break, then?"

"I'd rather not," Neji replied, glancing briefly down at Sakura, who was still panting softly as she struggled to catch her breath.

"But it doesn't look like we can leave right now, either."

"I will carry Sakura!" Lee announced.

"But, Lee-"

"I can keep up with you all the same! Please do not worry about me!"

Lee knelt down onto one knee, his back to the healer.

"Climb on, Sakura!"

She wasted no time in locking her legs around him, resting her hands on his shoulders. Lee straightened up, wrapping his arms around Sakura's thigh.

"Okay! We are ready!"

"We have wasted enough time here. I don't want to leave Gaara alone for long."

"Who cares?" Kiba scoffed.

"He's the one who took off and left the rest of us in the dust!"

Neji ignored Kiba's angry ranting, the first to leave the branch.

"In the meantime, keep an eye out for anything suspicious. We have no idea who thier abductors were."


	14. Truth at Last

* * *

ODaL should be up soon. First off, I would just like to thank my readers for thier continued support and patience. I know I haven't updated in a while, and it has been that way for several chapters, and I want to say I'm sorry. So, sorry!! Things have been really, really hectic lately. Getting a job, moving (Again...), family issues such as death and divorce that I won't burden you with the details of. But I'm hoping to be a "regular" now. Hoping. Please, just bear with me. But I know that many of you will, as you've shown time and time again. Thank you so much for that. You all have the patience of a freaking saint.

* * *

Neji rapped on the door with his knuckles, waiting for some kind of inside movement. He knew well that he shouldn't be asking_ him _to come with him, but with his feelings for Kiele... Neji knew he'd never be forgiven if he left without him. There was no response, so the Hyuuga went to the training grounds.

"Hiyah!"

"Put your back into it, Lee!"

"Sensei!"

"Lee," Neji called, brushing the tree branches from his face.

"Yaaaah!!"

Lee threw his fist forward, and the bark shattered, sending shards of the tree hurling like daggers in all directions. He exhaled, and Guy cheered, pumping the air with his fist.

"Yes! The power of youth flows through your veins like no other, Lee!"

"Guy-sensei!"

"Lee," Neji repeated, louder and more firmly as he stepped into the clearing.

"Neji?" The young taijutsu user inquired.

"What are you doing here?"

"I've got some news that might come as unfortunate to you," The Hyuuga replied solemnly.

And Neji engaged them into the specifics of the story that had taken place the day before. Guy remained stoic as he listened quietly, but, as he'd expected, Lee wasn't as calm. His expression changed from horror of the fact Kiele was to be "betrothed" to his rival Neji, to shock that Kiele had attacked Hinata, to disgust when he'd heard the gruesome details of Hinata's "foaming". When Neji was finished, Lee was unable to stand still.

"I do not believe for one moment that Kiele would have attacked Hinata!"

"Lee, you don't understand Kiele."

"I know her well enough to know that she is not so violent as you seem to think!"

"Lee..." The Hyuuga closed his eyes, contemplating the righteousness of what he was about to tell his comrade.

"Gaara says that like he and Naruto, there is a demon inside of her. She is Jinchuuriki."

He watched Lee nod before cutting him off.

"What we witnessed at the Chuunin Exams was nothing, so Gaara claims. But she is, by nature, a violent being. Tsunade-sama believes that the demon must push Kiele to kill and destroy, because of its own explosive tendancies."

"No!" Lee persisted, shaking his head furiously.

"She is a wonderful person!"

"Kiele may be," Neji agreed, holding his own.

"But the demon is not."

Lee fell silent, and his head bowed. Guy gazed down at his pupil, as if hoping to comfort him with his eyes.

"In any case," Neji pressed, reopening his eyes.

"Lady Tsunade has ordered that I form a rescue squad for Hinata."

Lee raised his head and opened his mouth to argue, when Neji added,

"When we find the real Hinata, I have a feeling we'll also find Kiele."

His shoulders slumped, and he crossed his arms subbornly. The Hyuuga furrowed his brow, as it wasn't like Lee to sulk.

"Why should I go?" The young man demanded.

"When we find them, you will just take Kiele back as your bride!"

Neji smiled half-heartedly.

"I've given it some thought, and I just don't think that Kiele is the woman for me."

Lee's jaw dropped, and his pouting attitude fell like a rock.

"Wha-?"

"She belongs in the Sand, where Gaara is. It would seem the situation is much more complicated that I'd imagined. Kiele... _belongs... _to Gaara."

"I do not understand-"

"It's a long story," The Hyuuga summed up.

But Lee didn't give up.

"You talk as if she is some possession of his! Kiele is a human being, and she does not belong to-!"

"Lee, are you coming or not?" Neji interrupted.

"Oh, right! Yes!"

"Excuse us, Guy-sensei."

"Of course! Good luck with your girl, Lee! And remember: you kids are teeming with youth!"

"Guy-Sensei!"

Neji dragged Lee away from thier sensei by his arm, pushing the branches out of his way with his free hand.

"I was thinking of bringing Kiba and Sakura with us," He informed him as they reached the village once again.

"If that is your judgement, then I will not argue!"

* * *

"Neji!"

The Hyuuga blinked, snapping out of his thoughts.

"Look!"

His gaze averted to where Lee was pointing. Just a few feet ahead, the lush green forest broke into rock and dead grass. They were reaching the borderline of the Sand and Leaf villages.

"Alright. Let's pick up our pace. We should be there in another day's time. Gaara is waiting."

---

She gazed over at the sleeping form of Hinata. Breathing deeply, she rose to her feet, and tore through the forest. She'd be back for the Hyuuga after she could think for herself. It was nice to have fresh air after nearly a week in that room, but still...

_"Takai... What's wrong with me?"_ She pleaded to her inner demon as she tore through the forest.

Her legs pumped beneath her, but she'd never ran like this before. Shockingly enough for her, she stepped easily around trees, when she expected to hit them. For the first time, that she was aware of, she felt like a _shinobi_. With little effort, she paused long enough to spring onto the branches, bounding from tree to tree. She almost wanted to close her eyes, the wind making them sting and tear up at the same time. The wind whipped at her hair, her clothes, and it gave her a rush, a _chilling _sensation. Kiele couldn't remember a time she'd seen _anything _move as fast she she was going now. She doubted even Gaara's sand could catch her like this. But it was short-lived, and her body soon grew tired and weak. Her heart throbbed and contracted with pain, her chest heaved, and she slammed herself into a tree. Instantly, she gasped for air and slid to the base of the tree. Kiele wrapped her arms around the trunk and pressed her cheeks to the bark.

**You're out of practice. It's only to be expected after so long.**

It was too painful to try and talk, so she simply spoke to herself. The demon would still pick up on her thoughts.

_"You've been hiding this from me, Takai... All of you have..."_

**Of course. We thought it'd be best, but now, I see the error of our ways...**

The same pictures kept playing in her head, like someone was pressing the rewind button. Jugo, holding her above the ground, unable to breathe.

"_Kill her_," The silver haired man persisted.

He pushed his glasses up his nose with his ring finger. In the corner of the room, Hinata lay slumbering on the bottom bed. These men would kill Kiele, and the Hyuuga would lay there, oblivious, slumbering...

* * *

"Kill her, and all of our plans will be set into motion. Lord Orochimaru's... Sasuke's..."

Still, he hesitated. His fingers curled, alternating between loosening and tightening on Kiele's throat. He'd killed women before. He'd taken the lives little girls half of her age. And yet... his heart squeezed at the thought of murdering _this _girl. It almost _saddened_ him.

The silver haired man sighed in defeat, his hand dropping to his side.

"It's just as I thought... It's the demon that's preventing you from killing her, isn't it, Jugo?"

"I... don't know..."

_"Takai...?"_

**Just a bit longer.**

He pushed himself off of the wall.

"Well, this won't do at all," He spoke in mock innocence.

"I see now why Deidara couldn't harm her when he had the chance. He had the golden opportunity, a jinchuuriki, walking straight into the palm of his hand... I'd been wondering why he'd failed to extract the bijuu."

"I, I don't... I can't..." Jugo seethed.

He glared with muderous intent at Kiele, but lacked the ability to follow through. His lip curled back, baring his teeth at her.

Kiele's carefully composed mood fell, replaced momentarily by her fear. Simultaneously, Jugo's fist tightened around her.

**Get yourself together or, he'll snap your neck.**

She instantly obeyed, attempting to apply Takai's lesson about controlling the emotions of others she'd been taught the day before. It would be thier ticket to get out of there alive. In turn, Jugo's grasp let up once again. As if he'd sensed how close he'd been to finally finishing her off, he screamed in frustration.

"_Damn _it, this is pissing me **off**!!"

He turned, holding Kiele out toward the door.

"You kill her, Kabuto!!"

Kabuto laughed.

"Deidara of the Akatsuki failed to even kidnap her, and yet you think I have the ability to _kill _her?"

Jugo growled, scowling back up at the female in his hold.

"So, what do we do now? What was the point in even taking her if we can't kill her?"

"...We let them go, of course."

Jugo released Kiele completely, staring in horror at the seemingly absurd speaker.

"Are you insane?! We go through all that trouble of taking them, and--!"

"We've completed our objective. We no longer have any use for them."

He smiled, his gaze resting on Kiele.

"Besides, it's clear she has no recollection of hers, or her demon's, state. They pose no threat."

Kabuto's hands went to his pockets, fumbling with something inside of them. Jugo glanced from Kiele, to Hinata, to Kabuto, before he roared in anger and left the room, shoving Kabuto aside on his way out. Without a second glance at either of the females, Kabuto turned and left, leaving the door wide open behind him.

* * *

**You've always wondered how Temari, Kankurou and Gaara all knew you so well, while you never knew them at all. They are the only family you have. You've often wondered about your **real** family, your parents.**

A diferent kind a pain coursed through Kiele's heart.

_"I wondered... But I didn't think they would know... And I didn't want to ask you-"_

**Your parents were shinobi of Sunagakure. Giving birth to you... that was a complete and total accident.**

Kiele felt her body run cold.

_"I was... an accident..."_

**They were traitors to the Sand. They sold military secrets to the Mist in exchange for money and the promise of a high position in power when the Sand village fell. By this time, I was beyond help. My body was destroyed, and my spirit was sealed within a bento box. They sealed me inside of you at birth. Soon after, everyone realized what a mistake that was. With someone like Gaara around in the same village, they feared a conspiracy would arise when you got older. And with all the commotion, it was hard for the Yondaime Kazekage to miss. He investigated the matter further, and it wasn't long before he connected your parents as the root of the issue. He commanded that they either surrender their lives, or their child. Obviously, that was an easy way to get rid of the monster that plagued them, and they chose to give up you. From then on, you were forbidden to ever leave the side of or disobey the line of Kazekage, until you died. Later on, the Kazekage realized what had happened, and ordered your parents to be assassinated.**

Her hands dropped from the tree, pulling herself away. She turned her body around, resting her back to the trunk.

**You and Gaara had become very good friends. You slept every once in a while, but mostly, you tried to stay awake, since Gaara never slept. The two of you were... inseparable. He truly loved you, and you loved him. But then, Yashamaru, Gaara's uncle, tried to kill both of you, under Gaara's father's orders. He failed due to Gaara's sand, but the scars the incident left on the two of you still, even now, have not faded. Gaara's violence increased, and you were forced to return to the Kazekage, being his "slave", as he liked to call you. Gaara asked you to stay by his side and disregard his father's orders. But you ignored Gaara. It was foolish... You abandoned Gaara, then returned to him years later, asking if you were still friends. His response... Is the reason your right arm is scarred.**

Kiele subconsiously reached up with her left hand and held her right arm. The scar beneath the colth seemed to burn through her fingers.

**You lived with the idea that he would some day just up and forgive you, but even now he does not. He tried to kill you almost every day for years, and you in return learned to hate him as he hated you. Had it not been for me, you would have died the first time he tried.**

_"So, why didn't I?"_

**His powers over the sand are only as good as mine. I protected you, to a degree. The first time that he said he'd kill you I thought the bastard was bluffing. But he wasn't, and crushed your arm. To this day, it is by far the second worst wound you've ever bore. The worst... would be the time Gaara assulted you when you were eleven. It was your first time to Konoha, and you were there as a ruse for the Chuunin Exams. Your true motives were to crush the Leaf village, under the orders of your Kazekage.**

Kiele could not help but let a gasp escape her lips. She loved the Leaf village. She thought of Naruto, Lee, Neji and Hinata... She had at one time tried to kill all of those people...?

**Gaara assulted you while he fought Naruto. His attacks were meant for Naruto, but you were simply in his way. He held no regard whatsoever for anyone but himself. You were on Gaara's side, and he still didn't care if he killed you with Naruto. In his eyes, it was just taking out two birds with a single stone. Gaara only saw you as being in the way, and as an opportunity to finish his vendetta. He's wanted to kill you for years.**

Suddenly, Kiele felt sick to her stomach. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. This couldn't be true. But she knew that Takai wouldn't lie to her. She had nothing to gain from it.

**During this "death" stage of yours, Gaara's anger has calmed down to a low boil beneath the surface. Enough for him to be called the Kazekage when his father was killed by a man named Orochimaru. Since then, Gaara has not wished for you to know anything that I've just told you. He prefers this softer, more timid side of you, opposed to the violent, vulgar-mouthed and defiant brat he had to put up with earlier.**

Takai waited for Kiele to remark on the story she'd just been told. The problem with that was that Kiele was lost for words. So much of this tale came as such a shock to her... So the demon added to its recital.

**You met Naruto, and he gave you that fan you so cherish. He did care for you as a friend you back then, but on your second visit to Konoha... He became infatuated with you because you had become so chipper and optimistic, almost always smiling even in the face of despair. Lee has feelings for you because you gave him hope to become stronger, even as the former Kiele. Remember that lotus he showed you? You gave that to him. After Gaara had pounded him into the ground, anyways. Mostly because you saw yourself in Lee's shoes, fighting Gaara to the death one day. And Hyuuga... I honestly can't say what was going through his mind. You defeated him during the preliminaries of the third test of the Chuunin Exams, and then the next time he sees you, he wants your hand in marriage... I can only think that he admired your strength. Hyuuga in the past have defeated thier opponents, and turned around to ask them to marry them... They have a history of being drawn to powerful mates.**

But none of this put Kiele's mind at ease. She kept picturing Gaara, young and wrathful, attacking her with fury and blood-lust in his intentions. And her fighting back with that same malice and thirst to shed his blood. Suddenly, the dream she'd had made so much more sense.

_"Does Gaara-sama... Still want me dead?"_

**In some ways, yes. He has grown a bit attached to you, and this irritates the hell out of him. He doesn't want to feel the way he does, since he doesn't understand this emotion, so your death would probably bring a great relief to him.**

Kiele sighed, pressing her arms to her chest, holding her shoulders.

_"Why... can't I remember any of this?"_

**You didn't have amnesia. You never have. That was only me taking the opportunity to try and give you a new life, but it's obviously done nothing but plague you since I sealed your past away. **

_"Can you... give it back...?"_

The bijuu hesitated, but finally answered,

**I can.**

_"Do it."_

**You are such a stubborn girl. You can still return to Gaara as you are. It's not out of the question.**

"No," She replied aloud, still defiant.

"You've shielded me for long enough."

Takai emitted a low growl.

**You are hard-headed, and it will be the death of us. Once I give you back your memories, I will not be so gracious to take them away again.**

_"So be it. You're the one who's told me all of this because you said that this was the, 'calm before the storm'. You said that you could sense that thing would not be peaceful for long... And when that storm comes, Takai... I want to be ready. I want to be of use to my village."_

**...I understand.**

...And then the pain began.

* * *

Kankurou's hand balled into a tight fist, his knuckles turning white.

"That bastard again... Deidara, was it?"

Gaara didn't answer. Temari frowned, holding her arms against her stomach.

"Are you sure it was them...?"

"No," Gaara replied honestly.

"But I don't know who else would want her."

Leaning on the wall at the far side of the room, Neji spoke for the first time since he'd arrived at the Sand village.

"So, what do you suggest we do?"

"We have to find her," Lee blurted intensely.

"Yes, but we have no idea where to find her," Neji replied solemnly.

"For all we know, coming to the Sand could've been the wrong move. Their base could've been near the Leaf."

"Which is why Kankurou is on his way there shortly, and why I've asked the Hokage to dispatch another team to scout the area there," Gaara retored.

From her seat on the windowsill, Sakura gasped. She pointed out into the desert street.

"There's no way..."

Temari was at her side in a moment, gazing over the Leaf kunoichi's shoulder. Her reaction was identical to Sakura's.

"What?" Kankurou demanded.

The entire room's population was now huddled near the window, staring at awe at the figure standing below them, a woman in thier arms. The figure looked up, her ebony bangs falling back from her firey green eyes, which now held a spark that had been missing for almost a year.

"Boil up the tea, assholes." Kiele called, a twisted smirk crossed her face.

"We're thirsty."


	15. Change

"Kiele, you're..."

Temari eyed the kunoichi warily, her eyes shifting nervously between her and the young Kazekage, as if she expected the next Great Shinobi War to break out between them at any second. Kiele merely sipped her tea, Gaara watching her cautiously, as if not quite sure what to make of her yet himself.

"Hmm?"

"Oh, it's... nothing..."

"Since we've gotten Hinata back just as Lady Tsunade ordered," Neji began,

"We should get going back to the Leaf."

"Of course," Gaara agreed.

"I'm not going back with you, Hyuuga," Kiele droned, peering at the white-eyed Jounin from over top of her cup.

"I know. I've already made up my mind, as I've been having second thoughts myself."

"Kiele, I..."

Her eyes shifted to the second Hyuuga addressing her.

"T-thank you..."

Kiele gaped at her with wide-eyed appalled curiousity.

"What the hell for?!"

"For... saving us. Saving _me_."

Kiele shifted uncomfortably in her seat.

"They _let _us go. As much as I'd like to take credit for that, the truth is, I can't."

Gaara's eyes narrowed dangerously, instantly suspicious.

"They _let _you go?"

"Kabuto let us out himself. Although he didn't escort us out the front door personally, we encountered no opposition as I took the Hyuuga and left."

"It could have been a trap."

Kiele bristled, insulted, and her grasp on her drink tightened firmly.

"He said he had what he wanted from us, and that we were no longer of any use to him nor to Orochimaru. I let Takai guide me out from there. It put my senses on edge. Do you think the thought honestly hadn't crossed my mind, fool?"

"That's enough," Kankurou insisted, seeing his younger brother begin to seethe.

**(You aren't innocent to him anymore,)** Takai warned.

**(Make him angry, and you're likely to ignite the old hatred for you in him.)**

_"Doesn't make any difference. He'd hate me anyways."_

For a fleeting second, she recalled Gaara chasing her around the kitchen and dinning room in an attempt to get cookie dough.

_"I heard Temari calling you from upstairs," Gaara lied._

_Kiele smiled._

"Lord Gaara... Thinks I am an idiot..."

_She made a few hand signs, and she ducked down beside of the fridge and out of sight. _

_"Oh, Okay!"_

_Her clone darted off upstairs, and sure enough, the second her clone was out of sight, Gaara was in the kitchen. Kiele sprang out from beside the fridge, catching his wrist as he reached for the cookie dough. She smiled innocently at him, but he returned the gesture with an irritated scowl._

_"Kankurou-san taught me the replication technique."_

_She released his hand, waggling her finger in front of his face._

_"Now, Gaara-sama, dinner is almost done. Please, wait a bit longer! You can eat your meal, and the cookies will be done by then!"_

_After he was done eating, the Kazekage tailed her around the kitchen like a second shadow. She had a sudden flash of genius._

_"Gaara-sama... would you like the dough as well?"_

_She could see him perk up instantly, but it was gone the second she darted away from him._

_"You'll have to catch me first!"_

_At first, she thought he might actually go for it. But when he crossed his arms and stared her down coldly, those hopes were shot down instantly._

_"Kiele. You're not a child, so stop acting like one. I will not chase you, not for meager sweets, not for any reason."_

_Her heart sank, her shoulders slumping as she shuffled her feet. She had watched him wrestle Kankurou for the remote control only yesterday, so why was it just her he hated...?_

_"No... It hasn't changed."_

**(You'd be suprised. I know that I used to tell you that him finding inner peace was a far cry, but...)**

Kiele surveyed the Kazekage skeptically.

_"Exactly how desperate were those fools to honestly make _Gaara _the Kazekage...?"_

**(Idiot. Take a **good **look at him. You cannot tell me that he strikes you as the same person you used to know. True, he is still not as loose as Kankurou, and never will be, but at least he's not trying to kill you.)**

Kiele's eyes hardened, scanned Gaara cautiously. He'd gotten a bit taller than she remembered him being, but it was prominently his eyes that caught her attention.

_"Those eyes..."_

His eyes had definitely softened considerably. They no longer held that bloodlust and anger that she'd grown so accustomed to seeing in them. Now, they simply seemed... empty. Unreadable even by someone who held an identical gaze.

_"What happened... since the Chuunin Exams...?"_

**(That Naruto character defeated Gaara with his desire to protect his friends.)**

Kiele's grip on her cup slackened, and she almost dropped it. She stared into the beverage with wide-eyed shock.

_"Naruto did...?"_

**(I guess the boy's words hit their mark, because Gaara is completely devoted to this village now. He hasn't made a death threat since I don't know when, and the last time he attack a shinobi of the Sand... was when he attacked **you **during the Chuunin Examinations.)**

_"I don't believe it... Gaara couldn't care for anyone else but himself, of that I'm sure..."_

**(I'd suggest that you start rethinking your theories.)**

_"I never would've imagined I'd ever be having this backward arguement with you, Takai..."_

The demon's hollow laughter echoed in Kiele's head.

"You Leaf ninja should rest up here before heading back," Temari offered.

"Head back in the morning."

"I'll take you up on that offer," Kiba replied, covering his mouth as he stiffled a yawn.

Akamaru barked in agreement. Unfortunately for Kiba, his dog was the only support he got.

"No," Neji argued.

"We have to report back to Lady Hokage as soon as possible."

"We'll send a message back to the Leaf for you," Kankurou suggested.

"Rest up while you can. It's a three day trip back to the Leaf."

Sakura shook her head.

"We've only been in the Sand a few hours at most. Since Hintat came to us, we've no reason to be drained."

Lee rose to his feet, grasping hold of Kiele's wrists. Her eye twitched as she resisted the urge to give the Chuunin an elbow shot to the face.

"I look forward to the day that we meet again," He gushed.

"Yeah... right."

She pulled her hands out of his, taking another sip of her tea. Watching the five Leaf shinobi leave, she wondered if Temari would give her crap about Lee later. But as the kunoichi shuddered, running a hand through her tresses, Kiele got the idea that she had other things on her mind.

"Tell us what's going on," She demanded.

Kiele arched an eyebrow, suddenly feeling the weight of the stares of all three of the Sand siblings.

"About?"

"Everything," Temari sighed.

"Kabuto, the kidnapping, the Akatsuki,your memory... everything."

"Well," Kiele began, bringing her index finger to her chin,

"It was the Sound who abducted Hinata and me. This crazy, wild eyed freak tried to kill me, but..."

She shot Gaara a satisfied smirk, which he returned with an arched eyebrow and a frown.

"...but he couldn't, because of Takai."

"What about the demon?" The young Kazekage demanded.

"Because of Takai, others apparently have a hard time killing me... so long as I keep my shield in place."

"Shield...?" Kankurou questioned.

"What shield?"

"It's what Takai calls it. I can manipulate the '_atmosphere'_, hence, controlling the emotions of others. Takai does it subconsiously, so even if I cannot or do not have time to use it, though it can still be broken, it will still protect me of its own accord. Takai has taught me how to wield this power, thus making the shield stronger."

Her eyes were glued to Gaara. If anyone was capable of breaking her shield, it would be another Jinchuuriki like herself. Out of the two she'd met, only one of them had ever had a desire for her blood to be spilled.

"How can the shield be broken?" Temari asked softly.

"It can't be broken by sheer physical means alone," Kiele explained.

"To break, my attacker's desire to kill me must exceed my own desire to keep them at bay. The shield must be broken by stronger emotions than my own."

_"Did I get that about right, Takai?"_

**(Sounded good to me.)**

"Why did Kabuto let you go so casually?" Gaara questioned.

"Even if he was unable to kill you, with such a bargaining chip in his possession... You were in a bad position."

Kiele shrugged, setting her cp on the Kazekage's desk. With a frown, Gaara swiped the beverage up before it could spill all over his paperwork.

"He said he had what he needed from us."

"'Us'?"

"I don't know if it was Hinata he wanted, or me, or both of us, but whatever it was, he got it. As for what you guys were going on about the Akatsuki, I have no clue what you're going on about."

"And your memory?" Temari pressed earnestly.

"You... remember everything now? But how?"

Gaara had been wondering the same exact thing. He'd done his homework thoroughly, and amnesia was not curable. Kiele shuffled her feet, absentmindedly chewing on the inside of her cheek.

"I never had amnesia to begin with. That was all just Takai, witholding my memory from me in an effort to try and _clense _my mind."

All the sand siblings appeared horrified, and even Gaara's normally stoic expression had dropped. He stared at Kiele, wide-eyed, as she dropped her gaze, gazing at the headband tied to her hip. Slowly, she traced the hourglass pattern with her idex finger.

"I guess... it never occured to the demon that stripping me of my memories would only serve to make me even more restless. And with the rising threat of this Akatsuki, it decided that we would be better off if I could defend myself."

"So it gave everything back? Just like that?"

"Just like that."

Temari leaned further forward, hands on her knees.

"So, I take it you can remember everything that happened while your real memories were being suppressed?"

"Bits and peices," Kiele admitted.

"Some things are clear, like when Gaara aided Lee against Kimmimaro, while others... they're very vague. Like it was just a dream."

Gaara scowled when she spoke his name so casually. He'd only been Kazekage a short time, but he already grown accustomed to the respect he'd gained. Only Kiele had ever acknowledged him so casually, as if he weren't anything special, as if he were _normal_. And until now, even she had revered his name. Now, the blatant lack of respect she held in her voice made his bloid boil. Still, when their eyes locked, she stared him down with such intensity, the spark in her eyes grew to a blaze. She looked at him as if she'd enjoy nothing more than to gut him like a fish.

For a long time, all four Sand shinobi were silent. Kiele felt as if she were an intruder amongst them. As far as she was concerned, nothing had ever changed between any of them. Temari was vainly still feigning concern as Kankurou pretended to ignore everything from a distance, where it was safest, and Gaara wanted to reduce her to little more than dust in his sand. Gaara scratched his head furiously, his jaw cletched in anger, knowing he was back at square one with Kiele. Sighing heavily, Termari rose to her feet, casting Kiele a listless glance as if she, too, were already missing Kiele's former kindness and modest demenor. Noticing Kiele's insulted scowl, she tried to amend herself, but it was Kiele who spoke first.

"It's best this way," She insisted firmly.

"This way, if Gaara or I are targeted by the Akatsuki, I can fight them. I won't be a burden to any of you."

"You weren't a burden," Temari murmured in vain.

Kiele pursed her lips, livid.

_"They prefered me as I was post- Chuunin Exams."_

**(No kidding, child. Even I prefered you as such.)**

Pride got the best of Kiele, and despite the demon's protests, she challenged the shinobi.

"I don't give a damn what anyone thinks of me. You all know well I am only around because I have no choice. I don't have to be kind to you bastards in the process."

Gaara bristled from his seat, gripping the arms of his chair. Kiele's jaw set stubbornly. Just as he knew they would, her eyes locked with his, and the old electricty that always flew between them when she looked at him hatefully like that sparked.

_"Chiyo knew,"_ He mused bitterly.

_"She knew amnesia couldn't be cured, so she had me administer that powder not for amnesia, but to fight the demon's powers. She knew it was the demon manipulating Kiele, yet she said nothing..."_

Kiele's jaw slackened, but her eyes remained glued to the Kazekage.

"I'm leaving. I've got to brush up on my skills, seeing how you guys have obviously kept me pent up for so long."

She finally broke her gaze, and Gaara's eyes caught sight of Kiele's bare wrist as she reached for the door.

"Where is your wristband?" He demanded.

Kiele inhaled sharply, raising said wrist to eye level.

"Oh, shit..."

"Where is it?" Gaara repeated.

"We were completely re-dressed upon our arrival there... They took it."

"What purpose would taking a flimsy peice of leather possibly serve him?"

For a "flimsy peice of leather", the Kazekage sure was getting pissy over it.

"How the hell am I supposed to know?" Kiele sneered angrily.

"Just have another one made for me or something if it's that big a deal to you. It's not that big of a deal."

But she knew she was in trouble. She bit down on her tongue in frustration. It _was _a big deal. Thr Fourth Kazekage had warned her as a child that removing that wristband was the highest form of defiance Kiele could demonstrate. Although it wasn't technically _her _who took it off, Kiele got the feeling that Gaara wouldn't be as generous to bypass that little detail.

"We all know where I stand," She reasoned.

"It isn't like I need some accessory to remind me."

Before the Kazekage could further argue with her, she quickly slipped out the door. Temari sighed in anguish.

"This is bad..."

"What's bad?" Kankurou questioned.

"That we have to start checking out food to see if she's poisoned it again?"

Temari scowled at him, unimpressed. Her brother chuckled, shrugging his shoulders lazily.

"Sorry. I could help it. It was too perfect."

"I was _going _to say... that it's bad that she's back to being so unpredictable. The only thing for sure, now, is that nothing is for sure."

Kankurou rolled his eyes dramatically.

"I don't think anyone's in the mood for your psychoanalysis, Temari."

* * *

"Kiele sure has been gone quite a while," Temari observed, placing her head in her chin.

Kankurou followed her gaze out the window and nodded. It was nearly sunset.

"Looks like we'll be eating out tonight."

The two siblings heard the door open downstairs, then slam back shut. Turning to one another, their eyes locked in understanding. Only one person in all Wind Country was gutsy enough to simply barge into the home of the infamous Sand Siblings unannounced. Not even the most desperate of thieves were that stupid.

"We're upstairs, Kiele," Kankurou called, moving to open his bedroom door.

Kiele stepped into the room, the muscles in her face flexing as she clentched and unclentched her jaw. Sweat matted her hair against her face and neck, and she moved to brush her strands of unruly black hair from her eyes.

"For an old sandbag, that demon sure is one hell of a slave driver."

**(Watch it, child.)**

Temari's brow furrowed, then her mouth slackened as comprehension began to sink in.

"You trained with Takai?"

Kiele rolled her eyes, wiping sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand.

"Well, I didn't ask it for advice in romance, that's for sure," She droned sarcastically.

"Kiele," Temari and Kankurou groaned in unison.

"What the hell else would I summon the demon for?!"

"That's actually something I never could figure out..." Temari began with curiousity.

"But how is it that Takai seems to be able to leave your body?"

"The demon isn't _really _leaving my body," Kiele explained tediously.

"It's simply an illusion that it has left me. A genjutsu. I guess, you could call it something like Naruto's shadow clones, although a bit sturdier."

Kankurou sighed. He took off his headpiece, scratching his head.

"You're such a pain in the ass sometimes."

Kiele shrugged, walking into Kankurou's bathroom. She flipped on the light, ran cold water in the sink, and came out with a damp towel wrapped around her head like a turban. Kankurou laughed, letting his hand fall back down to his side and completely dismissing their previous conversation.

"You look like an idiot."

"Who the hell cares? It feels good," Kiele explained, poking the fuzzy white mass on her head.

"I'm sweating so bad right now."

Her gaze flickered to the window, where Temari was still sitting on the windowsill. She could see the towering dome that was the Kazekage's building in the distance.

"Gaara back at work?" Kiele asked, still having difficulty accepting that _Gaara _was the _Kazekage_.

_"I belong to Gaara now, seeing how the Fourth is dead..."_

Temari nodded, following Kiele's gaze.

"There's no telling when he'll be home tonight. He still has quite a bit of paperwork to catch up on since he's been gone at the Leaf village."

She cast her brother a patronizing glare, who tried to brush the gesture off by finding a sudden interest in his cuticles, before continuing.

"I thought we'd eat out tonight, and that we could order out for Gaara. You'll have to bring his portion to him, Kiele."

"Whaaaaat?! Why _me_?"

"I have to prepare for my upcoming trip to Grass Country."

"What about Kankurou? Why can't he take it?

Kankurou rose his hands defensively, taking several steps away from the two females.

"No way. He's already totally pissed with me for not doing any of his paperwork like I said I would while he was gone, and letting it pile up for him when he got back. You have any idea what he'd do to me if I walked within a two kilometer radius of him with security escort?"

Kiele laughed, pulling the towel off of her head and wrapping it around her neck like a scarf. Temari giggled, and even Kankurou began to choke out a nervous snicker. Then it struck her... up until now, when had been the last time she'd laughed with these two? And when had it _not _been taboo to joke so casually about _Gaara_? It was as if all the intensity it the atmosphere had finally evaporated.

Kiele jerked the towel from her neck, wadding it up and chucking it at Kankurou, who caught it in disgust. He glared down at the towel as if it were plagued.

"The sooner you do something with your dirty laundry, Kankurou, the sooner we can go get something to eat."

* * *

Dinner that night was awkward, to say the least. It was obvious that the two sand siblings had questions for Kiele, but decided against every single one, their mouths opening and closing like fish before they finally resigned themselves to idle chatter. At least, that was how Kankurou _started _dinner. Somewhere between appetizers and desert, he skillfully had his waiter switch his refill request from green tea to something a bit _stronger_, unbeknownst to either female until he moved to stumble out the front doors.

"I'm not carrying him home," Temari grumbled, eyeing her underage, drunken brother in distaste.

Kiele snickered, waving the styrofoam box containing Gaara's food above her head.

"Sorry, but I have to take Lord Kazekage his royal dinner. _I _can't take Kankurou home, so unless you don't mind your little brother getting mugged in some dark alley..."

Her voice trailed off, watching in amusement as Kankurou laughed and stumbled into Temari, who immediately shoved him off of her, sending him into a giggling heap in the sand. Temari groaned before bending down to bring his arm around her shoulders. She sulked off with him, grumbling angrily under her breath. Kiele laughed, shaking her head, then ambled off in the direction of the Kazekage's building.

The corridors were dark and desolate, everyone having gone home for night. Even the young female secretary Kiele vaguely recalled with an obssessive crush on the young Kazekage wasn't stalking the outside of his office door as usual. Kiele wondered if her absence was an ill omen, warning her that the Kazekage was in a bad mood tonight. If this were the case, then perhaps Gaara had verbally eaten the poor girl alive. With a resigned shrug, Kiele twisted the doorknob and stepped inside.

The room was dimmly lit, with nothing but a few candles lit in the windows and on top of shelves. On instinct, Kiele reached over, flicking the light switch on and off repeatedly, wondering why her efforts were to no avail.

"The electricity went out, The Kazekage explained gloomily, never bothering to look up at her from his papers.

Kiele continued to fool with the switch hopefully, as if determined that the lights would suddenly come on out of means of a miracle. When she heard him sigh lightly, she dropped her hand, watching him shuffle another paper to the top of his stack.

"How far is the outtage?"

She saw his shoulders rise and fall in one fluid motion.

"It must have gone out not too long ago... We were just at the resturant and they had electrcity..."

Recalling her true mission in being here, she set the delivery on the corner of his desk.

"Fresh from Izutho's. Bon appetit."

Gaara hesitated, laying his pencil down on his desk as he leaned forward in his chair.

"Is that..."

"Salted tongue?" Kiele finished in disgust.

"Yeah. With a side of curry rice sauteed in god knows what and and some weird looking crusty crap Temari insisted that we all try."

Kiele felt as if she were advertising the food to him, but Gaara didn't seem to mind. In a swift motion, he had shoved aside the papers on his desk and reached for the box with his free hand as he dragged it to him in the small clearing he'd made. Breaking apart his chopsticks, his eyes met Kiele's. It took much of her being to stomache looking at him, and not to flinch and glance away as she was so accustomed to doing.

"How are Temari and Kankurou?"

Despite her prior evasive tactic, Kiele allowed a small smile to creep across her lips.

"You might want to consider camping out here for the night, and maybe into tomorrow evening."

Gaara arched an eyebrow, bringing the salted tongue to his lips.

"Why is that?"

"Temari is in a foul mood because Kankurou got himself smashed as hell. I didn't know that he got away with underage drinking, but I imagine he'll be a pain in the ass to deal with tomorrow with a hangover. He really doesn't have any tolerance whatsoever."

The Kazekage gazed at her intently as he ate. For the first time in a long time, Kiele found herself taking in Gaara's features as he calmly returned the gesture.

_"He's so peaceful..."_

**(The lack of death threats and murder attempts are a nice change.)**

_"Yeah, no kidding..."_

"I'm sorry I yelled at you earlier today."

Kiele's jaw slackened, her composure dropped like a rock.

"W-what?" She stammered in shock.

"About the wristband."

Her eyes wandered from his face to her hands, dry and marred, as most Suna residents' were, from a life living in the desert. Her eyes then found his hands, calloused, but otherwise untainted by the natural occurances of the sand.

_"The sand shield... His sand armor, it must protect them."_

**(A random observation.)**

Kiele found herself gazing back at the Kazekage's face, who stared at her with wide eyed intensity, expectant.

"What's with that look?" She finally blurted.

"Do you forgive me?"

Before she could even think of answering, she found herself laughing. He frowned at her in confusion.

"What is so funny?"

"How absolutely rediculous this all is."

"What is rediculous?"

Kiele leaned across the desk, furrowing her brow as the Kazekage neither flinched nor shied away from her, but gazed back at her calmly.

"If anyone should be asking forgiveness, Lord Kazekage, it's me."

"How so?"

"Don't play stupid. You know what I did to you under the orders of the Fourth."

"A misunderstanding between us. And as I recall, I tried to end your life more often than you attempted to end mine."

"I never tried to kill you..."

"No, of course you didn't."

He leaned forward slightly, causing Kiele to lose her bearings and back off before he invaded too much of her personal space.

"You always tried to... What did you call it..."

She noticed him break the gaze he held with her to stare up at the ceiling. After a moment, he seemed to collect his thoughts, and peered back down to her.

"..._'Save _me'."

Kiele bit her bottom lip, racking her mind for a response. Gaara stared at her calmly, but that was anything but what she felt. She felt as if Gaara had reached into her chest and was trying to peice back together the fragments of what used to be a friendship between them.

"I want you to forgive me for everything I've done to you."

"Gaara..."

"I thought I'd killed you when I fought with Naruto. At the time, I cared nothing of your life, but when arrangements for a funeral arose..."

Kiele squeezed her eyes shut, dreading what emotions his next words might bring to the surface.

"...I was filled with so much anger. I realized that I didn't want you to die, and that your life _had _meant something to me."

"Why are you telling me this...?" Kiele murmured, blinking feverently.

She could no longer look him in the eye. Her heart was thrashing against her ribcage, rattling emotions she was sure she'd disposed of a long time ago.

"Because you need to realize that you are mine now, and I won't have you running away from me as you usually do."

Her fists clentched, her knuckles turning white.

**(He is foolish,) **Takai droned.

**(He is the one who has spent the past few months running from **you**.)**

"What about you running away from me?!" Kiele challenged, using the demon's information.

"You are just as guilty as I am when it comes to running away from me one another!"

"Not anymore," Gaara quickly amended.

He had completely forgotten about his food by this point, and pursed his lips in determination.

"I'm not running anymore. I'm tired of having nothing but bonds of hate with others. I want to experience what it's like to care for someone else, to know what it means to have someone who is precious to you."

"But, why tell _me_, Gaara...?"

"Because you have already claimed me as a person who is precious to you."

Kiele swallowed at the lump in her throat uncomfortably.

_"You're right, Naruto. I _did _hold back on you. But only to keep a more important promise than the one I made to you. But don't worry. I'll mend that broken promise. Now come, and fight me, and we'll see which one of us has the stronger existence"_

She could still see Naruto recoil in shock, the kunai in his hand almost fall from his loose grasp.

_"What? Are you _crazy_?!"_

_"When you threaten Gaara's existence, not only do you threaten mine as well, but you threaten... My precious person."_

_"_Him_? _**That **_guy's your important person? Why would you protect _him_? That guy is a monster! He's... he's so..."_

_"He's alone, Naruto. Just like me...If you mean to hurt Gaara... then I'll kill you without any regrets or second thoughts."_

"Gaara, I..."

The Kazekage gazed at her, also nostalgic from the gleam he held in his eyes.

"...We've come a long way..."

"Yes," He agreed softly.

"I suppose... as Kazekage, I have to honor your wishes. I will forgive you."

"I want you to forgive me as Gaara, not as the Kazekage."

"We'll get around to that, okay?"

A scowl crossed his lips, obviously not satisfied with such a vague answer. Kiele pointed towards the food, a small grin forming.

"You'd better eat that before it goes cold, if it isn't already."

"I'll get around to it," He grumbled, using her own phrase against her.

"In the meantime, I have something I'd like you to do."

"Coming from you, wouldn't that be more of an order?"

"Yes."

"Just checking."

The Kazekage leaned back in his chair, reaching for his food. He broke his gaze with Kiele, and his face became stoic once again.

"Pack your bags. You're going with Temari to the Grass tomorrow."

Kiele's jaw dropped, but she quickly regained her composure as she closed her mouth.

"You want me to take the Chuunin Exams."

"No. I want you to _pass _the Chuunin Exams," He corrected.

"Why so soon? I mean, I don't know if I'm in the best shape to pass any test--"

"You've fallen behind us," He pointed out.

Kiele knew of the truth in his words. Both Temari and Kankurou had become Jounin and Gaara was the _freaking Kazekage_. She'd been sleeping on the job... _literally_.

"Temari was originally going to the Grass alone, but I had a sudden change of heart. I can throw together two more Genin for you to team up with and send you off with her as your squad leader."

He leaned forward again, and his eyes locked with Kiele's again.

"When you come back to the Sand, Kiele, come back Chuunin. I'll be awaiting a report of your success."


End file.
